Toronto Blue Jays Among Teams Showing Interest in Former Yankees Pitcher Domingo Germán
Former New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo Germán is attempting to make a return to MLB, and multiple teams are reportedly interested in the free agent.
According to a report from The New York Post's Mark W. Sanchez from Wednesday night, Germán is in contract discussions with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, as well as four other teams. The New York Mets are also on Germán's list of suitors.
In August, Germán was placed on the restricted list after voluntarily submitting to inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse. New York wound up shutting Germán down for the remainder of the season.
Germán was removed from the Yankees' 40-man roster in November, and he ultimately elected free agency.
The 31-year-old right-hander was 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA, 1.077 WHIP and 0.7 WAR before his season got cut shot.
Germán made his MLB debut all the way back in 2017, and he became a part-time member of the Yankees' starting rotation by 2018. The righty from the Dominican Republic went 18-4 in 2019, but he was placed on administrative leave that September due to a domestic violence investigation.
The league suspended Germán for what turned out to be the entire 2020 season, and he spent part of 2021 in the minor leagues as he worked towards his return.
Germán opened 2022 on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder impingement syndrome, delaying his season debut until late July. Despite going 2-5, Germán posted a career-low 3.61 ERA and a 1.161 WHIP in the second half of the season.
After a streaky first few months to 2023 – including a 10-game suspension for using an illegal foreign substance on the mound – Germán posted his worst start yet, allowing eight earned runs and 10 total runs in 3.1 innings of work on June 22. Six days later, Germán pitched the 24th perfect game in MLB history.
Just over a month later, Germán was at the center of an incident in the Yankees' clubhouse, at which point he stepped away from the team to seek treatment.
Germán is 31-28 with a 4.41 ERA, 1.177 WHIP, 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.6 WAR for his career.
Having completed the required steps of his alcohol abuse treatment program, Germán is trying to make his way back to the majors.
The Blue Jays gave themselves plenty of starting pitching depth by signing Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodríguez last week, considering former All-Star Alex Manoah is trying to bounce back and top prospect Ricky Tiedemann could make his MLB debut in 2024. The Mets, meanwhile, have already added three starting pitchers this offseason alone.
Baltimore has five starting pitchers under contract – some veterans and others former top prospects – many pundits expected them to bring in a high-end arm this offseason.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.
Check out more New York Yankees coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Pinstripes.
