It’s been a nightmare weekend for the New York Yankees so far against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
New York has been outscored 26-7 (not a typo) through the first two games of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium, and according to a new report from Newark Star Ledger’s Bob Klapisch, “the two-game catastrophe could force (manager Aaron) Boone and GM Brian Cashman to rethink several assumptions about the roster.”
In particular, Klapisch speculated that New York’s starting pitching rotation might not be as strong as it’s looked lately. Klapisch criticized Max Fried for having his “worst outing of 2025” versus the Dodgers and characterized Will Warren as a “nervous rookie” in light of his massive struggles in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Warren’s performance was so bad, said Klapisch, that it may have made Cashman wonder whether New York needs to snag another starter.
“Will (the performance from Warren) change Cashman’s strategy at the trading deadline?” Klapisch wrote.
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“Warren had been surging recently — 41 strikeouts in 26.1 innings this month before Saturday’s wipeout – which might’ve convinced the Yankees to hold off on finding another starter in July. It could be time to rethink that.”
Klapisch also brought up the absence of Gerrit Cole as a problem that might be re-surfacing:
“Cole’s absence was felt more keenly this weekend than at any point since he underwent Tommy John surgery in March.”
The Yankees have a clear goal: return to the World Series in October, and this time, come away with a ring.
And despite a rough 48 hours in LA, New York is still very much poised to win the American League East and put itself in position for a long playoff run.
While Klapisch’s concerns are valid, it’s important not to let one or two games dictate an entire trade deadline philosophy.
Cashman, Boone, and the Yankees' faithful will all be watching with intent as Fried and Warren look to bounce back in their subsequent outings.
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