What a difference a year makes.
Domingo Germán was walking off the mound at Oakland Coliseum 13 months ago after pitching a perfect game for the New York Yankees. A month later, he was placed on the restricted list and began an alcohol treatment program. He was non-tendered by the Yankees on November 6 and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates five months later.
Germán was released by the Pirates on July 17 after he used his contract’s opt-out clause.
If this is the end of Germán’s career in Pittsburgh, he will have never played in the majors. The organization signed him late in spring training to a minor league contract worth $1.25 million with a $2.25 million team option in 2025, but visa complications kept him from starting with Triple-A Indianapolis until May 19.
Germán has struggled with command this season. He walked 28 batters in 50.1 innings, resulting in a 5.36 ERA in 10 starts for Indianapolis. In his one start for Single-A Bradenton, he allowed one run on three hits over four innings.
Pirates broke relations with a big liability, Domingo Germán.
This was hardly a surprise to us. Germán is 31-28 with a 4.41 ERA in 112 appearances (89 starts) after making his major league debut with New York in 2017. He finished 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA in 20 Yankees appearances last season, with his perfect game being more of an exception than anything else.
We should have known Germán would be a bust for the Pirates; the signs were everywhere. In May 2023, only three months before throwing the perfect game, Germán was suspended ten games and fined by Major League Baseball for breaking laws governing the use of foreign substances.
Germán had an 18-4 record at the height of his career in 2019 before being placed on administrative leave by MLB due to domestic violence allegations. He was suspended for 63 more games as punishment in January 2020, missing the whole COVID-19-shortened season.
It’s difficult to picture Germán receiving the MLB contract he’s presumably seeking, but he might sign with another organization that offers him an easier road to the big. Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and Jared Jones headline the Pirates’ major league rotation, and there are plenty of strong pitching prospects waiting in the wings. Cutting connections with Germán, along with all of his off-field turmoil, removes dead weight from an organization that has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
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