Pittsburgh Pirates DFA Former Troubled Yankees Pitcher

It's the end of the road in Pittsburgh for former New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German. The seven-year veteran, who spent the first six years of his career in and out of trouble with the Yankees, has been designated for assignment by the Pirates.

Domingo German's tenure with the Pirates ends with 18 earned runs on 25 hits, 4 home runs, 13 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 2 wild pitches, and a balk in 20.2 innings. pic.twitter.com/bAOGqofYjq
— 𝐍𝐒𝟗 (@NorthShoreNine) September 5, 2024

German, 31, spent most of the 2024 season in Triple-A, with Indianapolis. He was on his second minor league deal of the season with Pittsburgh, after signing one in the offseason, opting out of it in July and then re-signing with the Pirates shortly thereafter.

It was a dreadful year for the former Yankee, as he posted a 5.12 ERA in the minors in 72 innings, and in the past month in a swing role with the Pirates, things got even worse, as German had a 7.84 ERA in 20.2 innings.

The Dominican right-hander had a spectacular year in 2019 for the Yankees, posting an 18-4 record with a 4.03 ERA and a 153:39 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

But his troubles began late in that '19 season, when he was placed on administrative leave under the Joint MLB-MLBPA Domestic Violence Policy, while allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

He later received an 81-game suspension from MLB for that incident that involved allegedly slapping his girlfriend at a public charity gala, and he missed the entire shortened 2020 season.

In 2023, he was suspended for 10 games for a sticky stuff violation, though he returned and a month later threw a perfect game for the Yankees.

His rollercoaster ride continued as he posted a 5.15 ERA through June and July of that season, and an alcohol-fueled violent incident in the Yankees clubhouse caused the team to put him on the restricted list, and then remove him from the roster completely at season's end.

We'll see if he gets another chance in the majors, as he'll become a free agent once again.