Earlier this week, the Yankees agreed to a minor-league deal with Adam Warren, reports Brendan Kuty of NJ.com (Twitter link). This marks the 33-year-old’s fourth separate stint in the organization.
Warren had plenty of success as a multi-inning reliever early in his career. Between 2013-17 (all but a half-season of which came with New York), he posted a 3.34 ERA/3.76 FIP over 409.2 innings. Warren remained fairly productive in a 2018 season split between the Yankees and Mariners but had a disastrous 2019 after signing with the Padres. His San Diego tenure culminated in a September Tommy John surgery.
The right-hander signed a two-year minor-league deal (covering his post-TJS rehab in year one) with the Yankees last offseason. He was cut loose this past July, but GM Brian Cashman expressed an interest at the time in working out a new deal with Warren this winter. That has apparently come to pass. Fourteen months removed from the Tommy John procedure, Warren has fully recovered, Kuty hears. He’ll now look to work his way back into the Yankees’ bullpen mix.
Yankees just can’t quit this guy
He must be a good guy in the clubhouse. They sure don’t mind having him around.
If he can return to his 2013-2017 form I wouldn’t be able to quit those numbers either. There are many successful Tommy john surgery stories, why not give him the chance? Especially if he’s a good presence in the clubhouse. Sometimes having a loose mind around is the best medicine a stressed team can have.
Financial details are missing. Unless the move hamstrings the team’s budget (LOL), it’s a no risk move for 2022. Nothing wrong with that.
It sounds like he is ready to go for this season but as it is a minor league deal it is probably veteran min.
Minor league deal. Seems pretty low risk.
Big splurging by Cashman this off-season. Not sure who is the bigger free agent signing Bowman or Warren?
Not many teams doing anything major,probably not till they know when spring training and season will actually start. Yankees like other teams do not want to bid against themselves. Can’t see anything get going until after New Years. By the way McCann isn’t a big ticket signing!!!!
I hear you Fred. I think Cole was Hal’s one big signing for the decade. This doesn’t exactly bring back memories of signing Jack Clark, Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, David Wells, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Catfish, AJ, Matsui, Danny Tartabull, Swisher, etc.
It’s like your first wife! You keep coming back for more!!
Like this guy from his time with the Padres.
And on Twitter.
Sure, it’s a relatively small transaction. But I like the signing. Adam Warren was really good for the Yanks in that Utility Reliever role for years.
There’s certainly a chance that Warren can outperform & be an upgrade to Luis Cessa. I’d love to see it happen, man. Always liked the guy. & he’s the inverse of the “he can’t pitch in NY” stuff. Looking at his career it would appear he can *only* pitch in The City.
Luis Cessa has actually been an upgrade to Luis Cessa. Not dominant by any means but he’s been trending upward the last two seasons.
Absolutely.
In ’19 he was victimized by Clint Frazier’s Big Outfield Adventures. Tough to fully trust the ’20 results for any players but Cessa was finally an above average reliever by last year’s numbers.
Man, it’s be great if he could take just one more small step forward in his development.
I think you’re right, though. I guess what I’m now hoping for is that the Yanks can actually have *two* solid multi-inning guys. That’d go a long ways towards tightening up our sketchy middle relief.
Yankees should request Warren wear the same jersey number as Billy Martin. Make that a special revision in his contract.
Adam Warren…Billy Martin of the Bullpen.
It’s actually only the third stint not forth.
Give it time.
It is his fourth. He was drafted by the Yankees and traded to the Cubs. He was traded back to the Yankees. He was traded to Seattle. He signed as a FA last year and then released. He just signed again making four stints with the Yankees.
Lol
That was fast!
Thanks for setting the record straight, @Joe.
This really is a good choice for both parties. I’m very good with this as a Yankees fan.
Me too, he is like the pitching version of Luis Sojo. Solo, btw, is the only player ever to play in the Old Timers Day game and then make the 40 and play on the big club with the September call-ups. He was horrible, but the fact that he pulled that off added to his legend…
Sojo not Solo…
You know what I’m good with as a Yankees fan? Signing stud players instead of retreads, winning the World Series instead of being happy just making the playoffs and not worrying about some luxury tax when you’ve got more money than God. These ain’t our Daddy’s Yankees anymore.
Seems to only pitch well with the Yankees so it’s a good fit. Still a decent multi-inning relief pitcher.
All research and statistics have shown that most guys coming back from Tommy John surgery their velocity goes up. Yankees saw that with Jordan Montgomery I can only assume they are hoping the same thing will happen with Adam Warren.
The legend of Adam Warren continues. The greatest reliever to have pitched in pinstripes since the Great Mo Rivera.
I don’t think anyone is saying anything like that, @yukongold.
But Warren was a guy who could spot start, set up, go multiple innings, pick up an occasional save, start an inning or enter during a frame. All with a career ERA of 3.53.
No.
He’s not Mo, or Dellin, or Goose, or whomever. Still a pretty useful player though.
@Ducky.. Didn’t you know we Yankees fans aren’t allowed to say good things about our players. Apparently if we say good things about them, we are inferring they are HOFers.
Well, I don’t believe those fellas are going to be able to stop us from liking players on our squad, uh?
The Yanks have been so good for so long they’ve accumulated a number of “enemies”. I had no idea that teams like the Twins & Cleveland actually look at the Yankees as a “bitter” rival. Apparently, Cleveland’s grudge goes back to the 50’s(!). Bananas. I mean, I don’t really ever even consider Cleveland.
Ya know?
Goes with the territory of rooting for the Yanks, man.
My approach is to try & outclass ’em. Results can be mixed.
& – of course – go G-Men.
This is such minor news but given the slowness of the hot stove….
It low low risk and maybe some reward.
Need to pump the payroll over 300 for any chance to make the WS.