Ex-Yankee Pitcher Pursued by Division Rivals

As the New York Yankees look to improve their pitching rotation this offseason, one of their former arms might be pitching against them in the division.

According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, right-handed pitcher Domingo Germán has met with three teams, including two AL East rivals: the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. The San Diego Padres are the third team that the former Yankee right-hander met with.

The Red Sox and Orioles are both in need of pitching help. Boston is so desperate for pitching that they traded Alex Verdugo to New York for three right-handed pitchers earlier this offseason, a rare trade between two hated rivals. The Orioles’ pitching problems have been well-documented as well, and was largely responsible for their early playoff exit after winning the AL East in 2023; they additionally lost starting pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Detroit Tigers on December 16.

The Yankees had placed Germán on waivers on November 2, and he elected free agency four days later. This ended a six-season tenure in the Bronx, which saw the 31-year-old compile a 31-28 record, a 4.41 ERA, and 543 strikeouts, while dealing with a host of off-field issues.

Highlights of Germán’s time with the Yankees include an 18-4 record and 153 strikeouts against just 39 walks in 2019, and pitching the 24th perfect game in MLB history on June 28, 2023 against the Oakland Athletics. The latter achievement will be recognized in February during the Caribbean Series in Miami.

However, Germán was constantly involved in controversy throughout his time in the Bronx, which included an 81-game suspension for domestic violence in 2019, and being placed on the Restricted List to receive treatment for alcohol abuse in August 2023, both of which ended his respective seasons. The latter incident, which involved a clubhouse outburst under the influence of alcohol, was the final straw for the Yankees and led to his release three months later.

Despite these issues and inconsistent play, the Red Sox and Orioles are clearly interested in Germán’s pitching ability. His 2019 season and the perfect game last season show how good the right-hander can be when he’s on a roll, and both are looking to improve their starting rotations.

The Yankees won’t miss Germán, as his streaky play wasn’t worth the trouble of his off-field problems, but having to play against him in the AL East would  be an interesting, if not frightening, scenario.