Pirates Designate Controversial Starting Pitcher
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates made a move to designate right-handed starting pitcher Domingo German, making space for them to bring up left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz.
He signed a minor league contract with the Pirates back in March, for a deal that paid $1.25 million and came with a 2025 club option.
Sources: The Pittsburgh Pirates are designating Domingo German for assignment.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) September 5, 2024
German made one start for the Bradenton Maurauders at Single-A, pitching four innings, allowing three hits, three walks and one earned run.
The franchise then promoted him to Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians in May. He made 10 starts with a 4-4 record, 5.36 ERA, 50.1 innings pitched, allowing 51 hits, 30 earned runs, eight home runs and 28 walks, while making 48 strikeouts. He also held opposing batters to .225 hitting.
German exercised an opt-out clause that released him from his minor league contract earlier in the season but the Pirates kept in contact with him and brought him back to the franchise on July 21. They would select his contract on Aug. 9, bringing him up to the MLB.
He struggled with the Pirates in his seven appearances and two starts He had an ERA of 7.84 in 20.2 innings pitched, allowing 18 earned runs. He also allowed 25 hits, four home runs, hit two batters and walked 13, while making 18 strikeouts.
His final apperance for the franchise came in their latest loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, a game which he started. He allowed nine hits, six earned runs and two home runs in three innings in a 12-0 loss for the Pirates, who also failed to get a hit of their own, with the Cubs pitching a no-hitter
German previously spent seven seasons with the Yankees from 2017-23, pitching in 112 games and starting 89 contests. He had a 31-28 record, 4.41 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 522.1 innings pitched, 543 strikeouts, while allowing 161 walks, 454 hits and 256 earned runs.
He missed the end of the 2019 season and the postseason, plus the entire COVID-19 shortened 2020 season due to violating the MLB's personal conduct policy after they did an investigation into suspected domestic violence against his then girlfriend at the time.
German pitched a perfect game on June 28, 2023 in an 11-0 win over the Oakland A's at the Oakland Coliseum. It was the 24th perfect game in the MLB and the first since former Seattle Mariners star Felix Hernandez did it against the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco Field in Seattle on August 15, 2012.
DOMINIC CAMPBELL