Numbers don’t capture Will Warren’s full Yankees value

Given the strides that Will Warren made over the course of this season, there is reason to believe there is a higher ceiling for him to reach next year and beyond.

And still, as the offseason kicks into gear, there are calls for the Yankees to go out and sign another big-name, high-end (i.e. expensive) rotation piece.

Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive, especially given that the Yankees only have four healthy starters in their projected 2026 rotation at the moment, with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt all set to begin the season on the injured list. But Rodón should be back by early May at the latest and Cole perhaps around then, too, if he continues to hit all the benchmarks of his Tommy John rehab without issues.

Barring further injuries that pop up this offseason or spring — they do always happen — they would join a group of Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and Warren. And if they add another big-money starter to that group this offseason, well, that would only further cloud Warren’s spot. (Again, the Yankees would love to have a problem like this on their hands. Remember, Warren entered last spring as the projected seventh starter, only to spend all season in the big leagues.)