Yankees got preview of Will Warren's new role, but it might be more of the same

What the future holds for Will Warren is an open question at this point in time. Carlos Rodón is slowly but surely nearing a return, and that will cause the New York Yankees to make a choice between Warren and a gassed Ryan Weathers in the starting rotation. If the Yankees decide to double down on a strength and make a play for a Tarik Skubal-like figure, Warren's future will be in the bullpen.

With Warren's turn through the rotation skipped due to an unnecessary "inclement weather" postponement on July 21, we got a preview of what the reliever version of Warren might look like. After burning David Bednar in what ended up being a frustrating meltdown in the first game of the July 22 doubleheader, Warren was called upon to protect a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning of the nightcap.

Warren gave up a leadoff single to Nick Gonzales before retiring the next two batters, striking out pinch hitter Tyler Callihan and getting Bryan Reynolds to ground out. The right-hander had an opportunity to close the door with Pirates phenom Esmerlyn Valdez stepping to the plate. Warren quickly got ahead of the rookie 0-2, but then threw four straight balls to walk him.

With the tying run now on base, Aaron Boone had seen enough and called on the scuffling Tim Hill to get the final out. Fortunately, the side-winding southpaw came through.

Shocking, right? Warren has always shown this sort of inconsistency from start to start (and at times even within the same start), so why shouldn't we get the whole experience condensed into one nerve-wracking inning?

Will Warren's greatest value to the Yankees might be as a trade chip

When the dust settles after Aug. 3, there's a decent chance that Warren isn't one of the five best starters on the team. If he can't handle high-leverage work in the bullpen, his value is ultimately very limited.

However, if the Yankees are willing to part with him, he could be a key part of a package to land a serious upgrade. If the offseason taught us anything, it's that controllable starting pitching, even if it's for a back-end starter, is perhaps the most valuable commodity in the game. Warren is under team control through 2030, so he definitely fits that bill.

Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic have reported that the Tigers would require that type of pitcher plus a couple of quality prospects in exchange for Tarik Skubal. They went as far as to name Warren (and Weathers) as hurlers who would fit the bill.

The Padres want top prospects for Mason Miller, but they also need controllable starters, too. Don't forget that Michael King was a major piece in the Juan Soto trade between New York and San Diego, and now that King might be on his way out this offseason they'll need a cost-controlled replacement.

The type of players that Warren (plus a little bit more) can bring back are significantly more impactful than what Warren can provide, regardless of his role. For that reason, the Yankees should shop him over the next week and a half instead of projecting him into their bullpen plan.

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