The Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets have reportedly expressed interest in signing former New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo Germán as he attempts to make a comeback to MLB following alcohol abuse issues that led to his departure from the Yankees.
Germán voluntarily underwent inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse in August, leading to his placement on the restricted list, and the Yankees eventually shut him down for the rest of the 2023 season. In November, he was removed from the Yankees’ 40-man roster, and he subsequently elected free agency.
The 31-year-old right-hander had a 5-7 record with a 4.56 ERA, 1.077 WHIP, and 0.7 WAR before his season was cut short due to his off-field issues. Germán made his MLB debut in 2017 and became part of the Yankees’ starting rotation in 2018. In 2019, he went 18-4 but was placed on administrative leave in September due to a domestic violence investigation, leading to a suspension for the entire 2020 season.
After spending part of 2021 in the minor leagues, Germán returned in the second half of the 2022 season with a career-low 3.61 ERA. In 2023, he had a streaky performance, including a 10-game suspension for using an illegal foreign substance, but also pitched a perfect game in June. However, he later took a leave of absence to seek treatment after an incident in the Yankees’ clubhouse.
Germán has completed the required steps of his alcohol abuse treatment program and is now seeking to return to the majors. The Blue Jays, who recently added pitching depth with the signing of Yariel Rodríguez, the Orioles, and the Mets are among the teams expressing interest in signing Germán. The Blue Jays have bolstered their starting pitching depth, while the Mets have already added three starting pitchers in the offseason. The Orioles, with five starting pitchers under contract, are also expected to target a high-quality arm in the offseason.
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