The Pittsburgh Pirates’ decision to promote Domingo Germán from Triple-A Indianapolis to the major leagues has taken many by surprise. Germán, a former New York Yankees pitcher, was not expected to make a return to the big leagues, especially not so soon. Insider Mike Rodriguez was the first to reveal this unexpected development, announcing that Germán is set to join the Pirates for their Friday night game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The timing of this move is particularly intriguing given the Pirates’ recent performance. They have struggled in their recent home stand, losing five out of six games against other National League Wild Card contenders. The addition of Germán might seem curious since it doesn’t directly address the areas where the Pirates have been notably weak.
One possible reason for the Pirates’ decision could be Germán’s contract situation. He had a clause in his minor league deal that allowed him to opt out if he wasn’t promoted to the major leagues by August 9. If the Pirates hadn’t called him up, they risked losing him to another team in need of pitching, particularly a Wild Card contender that might have been interested in his services.
Despite the potential risk of losing him, Germán’s performance in Triple-A had been far from stellar. Over 13 starts for Indianapolis, the 32-year-old right-hander compiled a 6-4 record with a 5.29 ERA and a 1.426 WHIP. He also allowed 12 home runs over 68 innings. While he struck out 8.7 batters per nine innings, his 4.1 walks per nine innings indicate some control issues. This raises the question of whether the Pirates are making a strategic move to prevent Germán from joining another team, or if they genuinely see potential in him.
As for how the Pirates will utilize Germán, reports suggest he might make his season debut on Friday against the Dodgers. Currently, Mitch Keller, who leads the Pirates with 10 wins and has pitched 132 1/3 innings, is scheduled to start. It seems unlikely that Keller would be skipped or pushed back in favor of Germán. If Germán does join the rotation, he is more likely to replace Luis Ortiz, who has struggled in recent outings after a strong start earlier in the season. Ortiz could benefit from a shift to a bullpen role, where his performance as a multi-inning reliever might be more valuable given the bullpen’s recent overuse and struggles.
Germán’s stint in the Pirates’ rotation, if it occurs, might be short-lived. Jared Jones, who recently began a rehab assignment with Indianapolis, could return to the major leagues soon. If Jones performs well in his rehab outings, he could take one of the rotation spots currently occupied by Germán. This would likely relegate Germán to a long-relief role, which wasn’t what he might have envisioned when he signed with the Pirates. However, it would still provide him an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and potentially attract interest from other teams.
Germán’s history with the Yankees has been checkered. He was suspended in late 2019 for a violation of Major League Baseball’s personal conduct policy, which extended into the 2020 season. In 2023, he faced another issue involving an incident in the clubhouse where he damaged property and had a confrontation with Yankees manager Aaron Boone, allegedly under the influence of alcohol. Following this, Germán sought treatment for alcohol abuse and was subsequently waived by the Yankees in November. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in March, opted out in July, and then rejoined Pittsburgh shortly thereafter.
Despite these controversies, Germán has had a notable career in the majors. He is perhaps best known for throwing a perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on June 28, 2023. Over his six-year career with the Yankees, Germán has accumulated a 31-28 record with a 4.41 ERA. His WHIP of 1.177 and opponents’ slash line of .228/.292/.430 indicate that he has pitched better than his ERA might suggest. His strikeout and walk rates are also above the MLB average, and his standout year was 2019 when he went 18-4.
In summary, the Pirates’ move to bring up Domingo Germán is intriguing and raises several questions about his role with the team and the reasons behind his promotion. Whether he will have a significant impact or merely serve as a temporary fill-in remains to be seen.
