As everyone knows by now, Michael Pineda will be starting the season on the DL due to right shoulder tendinitis. Though it’s still way too early to come to any final conclusions, this does not bode well for Brian Cashman and his gamble/trade that sent highly rated prospect Jesus Montero to the Mariners. When the trade was first announced last winter, I decided to take a wait and see attitude, and tried to remain “cautiously” optimistic.

That being said, the setback for Pineda now allows veteran Freddy Garcia to move back into the rotation. This will also allow the Yankees to choose from a crop of pitchers that include rookie DJ Mitchell and veteran Cory Wade to fill the role of long reliever.

Another name that has been mentioned recently to fill the long reliever slot is none other than Adam Warren. In fact, Mark Feinsand of the Daily News mentioned Warren as a possible candidate for the long reliever role during Friday night’s Radio broadcast on WCBS 88.

Now I have to admit, when I heard Feinsand mention Warren as a bullpen candidate, I immediately started shaking my head and yelling at the radio. Putting Warren in the bullpen, at least in my opinion, would be a bad move by the Yankees brain trust.

First off, if you’ve heard Brian Cashman this winter, he has been telling anyone who would listen that Warren, along with the two remaining killer B’s and David Phelps were all slotted for the minors leagues this season in an effort to build up their innings. That’s all fine, well and good. I have no problem with taking a conservative approach to developing young pitchers. But considering Warren as a long reliever does neither he nor the organization any good in the long term.

Personally, I believe the Yankees should think totally out of the box and insert Warren in the rotation instead of Freddy Garcia? Yes, Warren did not exactly impress anyone with his performance against the Astros on Saturday, giving up 10 hits and 6 earned runs in 5.2 innings of work. Still, why not give Warren a chance for the first few weeks of the season, just to see what you have. If it does not work out, you can send him back to the minors to continue the maturation process.

Would the Yankees ever consider doing this? Highly unlikely, but it is an option that I think they should explore. The one thing I do know is this. They should not, repeat, not consider using Adam Warren for the bullpen. Warren is a starter, plain and simple. Let’s hope the brain trust of the Yankees Universe keep it that way.

So let’s hear your thoughts. Let’s take the pulse of the fans. Who do you want to be the Yankees long reliever?

Frank is a resident of East Brunswick, NJ and former radio announcer. He is a 4th generation Republican and Yankees Fan. He also enjoys listening to talk radio. His favorite announcer is Shawn Hannity of “Hannity” on FOX and enjoys reading about military history. In addition to rooting for the Yankees, he also has a passion for the New York Islanders. You can enjoy Frank’s work at The Dead Ball Era and his book “Bury My Heart at Cooperstown”. Check out his “Rants and Raves” on New York Baseball Digest.

Frank Russo

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Tags: Adam Warren, Michael Pineda, New York Yankees