How Adam Warren Becoming A Starter Changes The Yankees

By Antonio Mendes | Mar 28, 2015

The New York Yankees have had many position battles going on this Spring, and as we near the start of the regular season, the answers are becoming clearer. One of these battles are the race to take the fifth rotation spot. It was narrowed down between Esmil Rogers and Adam Warren in the eyes of many.

With the recent struggles of Rogers, it seems Warren has taken a clear lead to become the fifth starter. So assuming this happens, what are the ‘pros and cons’ of moving him out of the bullpen.

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In the 2014 season Warren pitched 78 2/3 innings, with 76 strikeouts, 26 earned runs, and a 2.97 ERA. He was one of if not the best arm(s) in the bullpen last year in terms of mid-game pitchers. The Yankees have no doubt as to who will handle the eighth or ninth innings this year, now it’s who can be that reliable mid-game arm. Who will replace Warren as that reliable arm in the sixth and seventh innings? Will he even be taken out of the bullpen?

There’s a couple way to look at this situation, one is shared by Yankees manager Joe Girardi. The team will put him wherever he is most useful, not meaning he wouldn’t be strong starter, but his arm might be heavily missed in the middle innings. You have to look at the drop off between each position. For the starting position how big of a drop off is Warren to say Rogers, and for the mid-game arm how big of a drop off would it be from Warren to say Justin Wilson?

Some think if Warren were to be the fifth starter it could weaken the bullpen, it seems Girardi is positive it won’t, I agree.

“We have enough arms down there if he was a starter that shouldn’t be the case, but it remains to be seen”.

The Yankees made multiple moves in efforts of adding to the bullpen this off-season, there is no reason Warren’s departure (for two months) should hurt the team in any way.

The other option is not trusting other players to take Warrens place in the pen, and go with Esmil Rogers for a temporary starter, and hope for the best. That’s really what the Yankees were doing with Chris Capuano as it is until Ivan Nova returns.

With the work Warren is showing right now, Capuano could have had a competitor for that spot even if he was healthy. Esmil has been a starter before but the numbers weren’t pretty at all, so why not go with Warren who is still very young and has also shown he could be a starter at times last year.

The Yankees will give a decision soon with Spring Training coming to an end. Warren seems like the safest bet. It could possibly hurt to leave him in the bullpen as well. Do you think he is ready for the fifth spot in the rotation? Or do you think he is most useful in the bullpen ahead of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller?

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