Infamous ex-Yankees pitcher gets DFA’d by his new team
May 10, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German (55) looks on during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Another MLB team has given up on embattled pitcher Domingo German.
Robert Murray of FanSided reported Thursday that the Pittsburgh Pirates are designating the veteran right-hander German for assignment. The move spells the end of German’s tenure in the Pittsburgh organization after less than one full season.
German, 32, used to pitch for the New York Yankees, posting a remarkable 18-4 record in the 2019 season and then throwing an improbable perfect game in 2023. But German’s brief glimpses of success were overshadowed by his troubles off the field, which included alcohol abuse problems as well as an ugly episode in the Yankees clubhouse that ultimately led to German’s banishment from the team.
For German, who also served an MLB-imposed suspension in the 2019 and 2020 seasons for an incident of alleged domestic violence against his then-girlfriend, he managed to get a lifeline from the Pirates on a one-year deal last winter. But after spending the first several months of this season in the minors, German did nothing with his opportunity when he was called up by Pittsburgh last month, posting a horrendous 7.84 ERA across seven total appearances for the team. With the Pirates now throwing in the towel on German, it may ultimately signal the end of his MLB career.
