Meet the 2019 Yankees: Domingo German

The New York Yankees caught some lightning in a bottle last season when the team called up a young started named Domingo German to make some spot starts for the team. German was consistently inconsistent, but when he was on the Yankees young right-hander showed flashes of absolute brilliance and dominance at the Major League level. If German can put it all together and pitch like that 25-30 times a season the Yankees starting rotation may be borderline unfair, in the very best way possible, so let’s meet the man that will look to take that next step this season towards greatness. Domingo German, come on down.

Domingo German, 26-years old, is a right-handed starting pitcher inside the New York Yankees organization that relies on five pitches to keep opposing hitters off-balanced. German possesses an 82 MPH curveball, a 95 MPH four-seam fastball, a 95 MPH sinker, an 88 MPH changeup, and a rarely thrown 93 MPH cutter. German’s curveball is a 12-6 curveball that generates a ton of swings and misses on the pitch. German is prone to giving up the flyball, and subsequently the home run ball inside Yankee Stadium III, but also strikes out enough to get by when he is on.

Domingo German Polanco was born on August 4, 1992 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic where he was signed as an international free agent in 2009 by the Florida Marlins. German made his professional debut in 2010 and was selected to represent the Marlins in the All-Star Futures Game in 2014. After the 2014 season the Marlins, along with Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones, traded German to the New York Yankees for Martin Prado and David Phelps. German would not pitch for the Yankees in 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and was promptly non-tendered after the season. The Yankees signed German to a new minor league deal following the season and added him back to the 40-man roster following the 2016 season.

The Yankees promoted German to the Major Leagues on Jun 10, 2017 and watched as he made his MLB debut the next day against the Baltimore Orioles. German pitched out of relief for seven appearances for New York in 2017, posting an 0-1 record with a 3.14 ERA. German was back on the Major Leagues on May 6, 2018 as a starter against the Cleveland Indians, pitching six no-hit innings while allowing two walks and striking out nine. German made 13 starts for New York in 2018 and posted a 2-6 record with a 5.68 ERA before being optioned to Triple-A on July 21.

German will look to pitch much better in 2019 and could be an integral part to the Yankees bullpen and rotation going forward this season. We want “good” German in 2019, and not the German that seemingly struggled in every other start and appearance that we saw last season. Baby steps, I’m not worried and I am totally confident that we will see just that this season. Good luck!

On A Clear Day, I Can See Toronto...

The Dog Days of Spring…

One week to go until the games become “real”. The thought of Toronto, Canada on a day in late March gives me a rather chilly feeling but watching the Yankees play brings the necessary warmth. The current weather forecast calls for cloudy skies with an expected high of 47 degrees and a 20% chance of precipitation. Nevertheless, the temp inside the Rogers Centre should be very comfortable for the away team. Let the homers begin!

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports (Kim Klement)

It sounds like Manager Aaron Boone intends to have his 25-man roster in place by the weekend. I was surprised to see that first baseman Tyler Austin didn’t make the cut. I assume that places Neil Walker and Austin Romine as the backup first basemen. The speculation is that the Yankees will carry 13 pitchers and 12 position players. We know that Tyler Wade has made the team as the second baseman and Brandon Drury will be the starter at third. So, the bench appears to be Austin Romine, Neil Walker, and Ronald Torreyes as it appears that neither Jacoby Ellsbury nor Clint Frazier will be ready. Under this scenario, the Yankees won’t carry a fifth outfielder with Ellsbury expected to open the season on the disabled list. The outfield rotation would be limited to the four outfielders currently in play (Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton) using the DH slot primarily for Stanton and Judge. This is where multi-position versatility is very helpful. Although Drury has only played third base for the Yankees, he was the starting second baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year and he has also seen time in the outfield for the Snakes. Torreyes as the emergency catcher is funny but it makes sense. Walker will be all over the infield except shortstop and catcher. 

Photo Credit: MLB.com

So it appears the critical decision with be the 13^th pitcher.  Luis Cessa simply no longer has my trust or support. I do not want him as the rotation’s “sixth man” and after a good Spring, I feel much better about Domingo German in that role. I thought this would be the breakout year for Ben Heller but he had a few rough outings recently and has found himself with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. There is still time for him to shine but it won’t be at the start of the season. I really like Jonathan Holder. He blazed through the Yankees farm system until struggling last year. I am convinced he will be much stronger this year. So, for me, I’d like to see either German or Holder get the last spot on the 25-man roster. German would be a true long man, but if the Yankees need an emergency starter, there’s always the Scranton Shuttle. I’d probably go with Holder to start the season but like last year, the final spot on the roster will be very fluid. 

I was surprised to see the return of Rule 5 draftee Anyelo Gomez from the Atlanta Braves.  We know that the Braves will be bad this year. I thought they’d bite the bullet and keep Gomez on the MLB roster all season to keep the talented young pitcher. But Gomez’s performance spiraled downward as the MLB-caliber competition in exhibition games increased and it led to Atlanta’s decision to offer Gomez back to the Yankees. Similarly, Jose Mesa, Jr has struggled with the Baltimore Orioles and he was designated for assignment this week when the O’s signed free agent pitcher Alex Cobb. If Mesa clears waivers, the O’s will have to offer him back to the Yankees. So, this leaves only Nestor Cortes, Jr (Orioles) and Mike Ford (Mariners) as the only Rule 5 draftees still with the teams that selected them from the Yankees in December. I remain convinced Cortes will make the O’s Opening Day Roster despite the three-run homer that he gave up to Aaron Judge in yesterday’s exhibition game. I still expect Ford to be offered back to the Yankees by the Mariners in a numbers crunch at first base. 

Photo Credit: MLB.com

Speaking of the Mariners, I was saddened to learn that former Yankees reliever David Phelps will miss the upcoming season with a torn UCL that requires Tommy John surgery. I thought it was cool that Ichiro Suzuki had followed Phelps to the Yankees, Miami Marlins and then back to Seattle. Now, it appears their reunion on the active regular season roster will be delayed assuming that Ichiro continues to play for the M’s beyond this year. We wish David the very best with his surgery and recovery.  Hope to see him back in the Mariners’ bullpen sometime next year and as good as ever (except when he pitches against the Yankees, of course).

Photo Credit: Seattle Times (Ken Lambert)

If you have a subscription to The Athletic, you should be sure to check out Marc Carig’s piece this morning on Brandon Drury entitled “Brandon Drury brings a serious edge to Yankees clubhouse”. Drury has become one of my favorite players in a short period of time. I love his quiet intensity. Like many believe including Yankees GM Brian Cashman, I feel very strongly that Drury’s best days are ahead. I think he’ll be a force at third base and will make us forget we ever knew Chase Headley or Todd Frazier. I am very pleased to see Carig covering the Yankees again after a few years away on the Mets beat. He’s an excellent writer and very insightful. Solid work, once again, by Carig.

It’s been tough with no televised Yankees games for the last few days. Fortunately, the Yankees will be on ESPN2 this afternoon against Jake Cave and the Minnesota Twins. I haven’t seen the lineups for the game yet but hopefully we’ll see Cave. I haven’t been following the Twins so I assume that Cave is remains in the Major League camp. The scheduled starter for the Twins will be former Yankee Phil Hughes. 

7 Days to Toronto. I’m ready. You’re ready. They’re ready. Let’s Go Yankees!

Just Winning Games in Seattle...

Credit:  Elaine Thompson/AP

Yankees 4, Mariners 1...

The Yankees took manager Joe Girardi's biggest concern ("just winning games") to heart as they defeated the Seattle Mariners on late night TV.  Of course, it didn't hurt to have perhaps the best Yankees starting pitcher (Luis Severino) on the mound.  Felix Hernandez is tough but I had the confidence in Sevy to persevere.

Credit:  Elaine Thompson/AP

The first innings of games, lately, always seem to be so tough.  King Felix easily dispatched the first three Yanks to move to the bottom of the first.  Ben Gamel ripped a one-out double to left (why did we get rid of him one day after being named the 2016 International League MVP again?...I know, the glut of outfielders but still, he has been very solid for the M's).  Robinson Cano hit an infield grounder that caught Gamel off second (out in a rundown...great athleticism by Sevy to start the play).  The deadly Nelson Cruz came up and singled to left to move Cano to second.  Corey Seager's big brother Kyle was next but Sevy dialed up the heat to 99 mph and punched Seager out to end the threat.  I am so tired starting games in the hole so it was great to see the Yankees escape without allowing any runs despite the two hits.  

The Mariners got their hits against Sevy but pushing them across the plate was a different story.  The M's threatened in the fourth with the game still in a scoreless tie.  Kyle Seager opened with a double just fair down the third base line (glad he didn't do that in the first inning).  Danny Valencia followed with a solid single to center to put runners at the corners with no outs.  Sevy was able to retire Mitch Haniger on a pop-up and Jarrod Dyson on a shallow center fly out after falling behind 3-0, before walking Mike Zunino to load the bases.  Fortunately, Jean Segura, in a long at-bat, hit a grounder to Didi Gregorius who flipped the ball to Starlin Castro to force Zunino out at second to end the inning.  

In the 6th inning with one out, Brett Gardner drilled a 'no doubt about it' homer right center, his 16th to match Matt Holliday and Todd Frazier, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.  He was fortunate as King Felix was still going strong, recording all outs in the 6th by strikeout.  But on the other side, Sevy was still holding the M's off the board.

Credit:  Getty Images

Former Yankee James Pazos replaced King Felix in the top of the 8th.  After Jacoby Ellsbury weakly grounded out to Pazos with a broken bat, Chase Headley singled to center on a ball deflected off the tip of Robinson Cano's glove.  Brett Gardner hit into a fielder's choice but a fielding error by Jean Segura (he would have easily had the force out at second but was unable to successfully pull the ball out of his glove) allowed Gardy to reach base with Headley safe at second.  Tony Zych replaced Pazos and promptly walked Gary Sanchez on a full count to load the bases.  A single to right by Aaron Judge scored Headley and it was 2-0 Yankees.  Unfortunately, Matt Holliday hit into an inning-ending double play so the Yankees were unable to further cash in with the bases full of Yanks.

Dellin Betances replaced Sevy in the 8th and ran into a little trouble.  After hitting Kyle Seager with a pitch, Danny Valencia singled to right to move Seager to second.  With one out and the tying run at the plate, Mitch Haniger hit into a force out at second (a play challenged by the M's after Castro bobbled the ball on the exchange but upheld by the umps).  Seager moved to third.  Betances reared back and struck out Jarrod Dyson to leave Seager stranded. 

The Yankees picked up a couple of huge insurance runs in the 9th courtesy of Robinson Cano.  Didi Gregorius and Todd Frazier hit one-out singles off M's reliever Max Povse.  After Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left (sure seemed like the Yankees were always having to work around Ellsbury outs), Chase Headley reached first base on a throwing error by Cano.  Both Gregorius and Frazier scored on the play.  Thanks Robby!  To Cano's defense, first baseman Danny Valencia gave up too early and didn't try to reach out to catch Cano's wide throw from shallow right.

It was off to the 9th and Aroldis Chapman with the Yankees leading 4-0.  Chapman's control issues continued as he walked the first batter, Mike Zunino.  Zunino was replaced by pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia.  A wild pitch by Chapman moved to Heredia to second.  Chapman struck out Jean Segura and Ben Gamel, with Heredia taking third, before Robinson Cano laced a double to the center field wall bringing Heredia home to score.  Chapman was able to secure the final out when Nelson Cruz flied out to right.  The Yankees win...a much needed victory.

Credit:  Getty Images

Hats off to Luis Severino (6-4) for delivering an ace-like performance against one of the AL's best starting pitchers.  Although he gave up 8 hits and a walk in 7 innings, he held the M's scoreless while striking out 6.  King Felix held the Yanks to 3 hits and struck out 9, but one of those hits was the Gardy homer which gave the Yanks the lead they would not relinquish.  I had confidence going into this game with Sevy on the mound and he did not disappoint.

Todd Frazier was 1-for-4 in his first Yankees start with a run scored.  Neither David Robertson nor Tommy Kahnle made an appearance in this game although Chapman was giving me reasons to wish that it was D-Rob on the mound in the 9th.  Joe Girardi must have thought the same thing as he had Robertson up in the pen after Chapman's wild pitch.

Ben Gamel was hitless in his next four at-bats after the first inning double, striking out three times. Robby Cano, Dontcha Know!, was 3-for-5 with the lone Mariners RBI.

Credit:  Elaine Thompson/AP

The Yankees (49-45) picked up on a game on the Boston Red Sox in the AL East standings and trail by 3 1/2 games.  The Red Sox lost 8-6 to the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Yanks are a game behind the idle Tampa Bay Rays (tied in the loss column).  

The Yankees go for their 50th win tonight with CC Sabathia (8-3, 3.54 ERA) on the mound facing Andrew Moore (1-1, 5.25 ERA). Sabathia was moved up from Saturday as Masahiro Tanaka was pushed back a day.  The Mariners announced a change for their scheduled starter on Sunday.  Yovani Gallardo (4-7, 5.59 ERA) will replace Sam Gaviglio in the match-up against Luis Cessa.

Odds & Ends...

I've been reading columns that feel the Yankees overpaid to acquire Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle.  After watching yesterday's acquisition of reliever and former Yankee David Phelps by the Seattle Mariners, I am starting to think the Yankees may have underpaid.  For Phelps alone, the Miami Marlins acquired four players.  Three of the players rank in the Mariners list of Top 30 Prospects according to MLB.com.  OF Brayan Hernandez rates the highest at #6.  RHP Brandon Miller is #16 and RHP Pablo Lopez is #22.  The Marlins also acquired RHP Lukas Schiraldi, son of former Major Leaguer Calvin Schiraldi.  Granted, the Yankees have a stronger farm system so #6 on the Mariners' list does not equal #6 on the Yankees list but this is still a very  good haul by the Marlins.  I know that one scout referred to them as "just guys" but I am also a believer in 'expect the unexpected'.  Suddenly, losing OF Blake Rutherford, LHP Ian Clarkin, and OF Tito Polo (along with the inconsequential Tyler Clippard) seems like a very small price to pay for a strong third base upgrade and two bullpen power arms.  I guess that we'll be seeing David Phelps very soon unless the Yankees can avoid giving the Mariners any late inning leads to work with.   

Credit:  Gary Landers/AP

Todd Frazier is now saying that he'll stay with #29 rather than ask Paul O'Neill if he can use #21.  If I was O'Neill, I'd probably reach out to Frazier and say, "It's okay, Kid...you've worn the number out of respect for me and for my original team (the Reds).  Please take #21 and wear it with pride".  There's no doubt Frazier will do the number justice.  

GM Brian Cashman has said that Clint Frazier will be optioned to Triple A when Aaron Hicks returns in a few weeks.  I know that he'll be back in September, but it does kind of stink that a douche like Jacoby Ellsbury gets to keep his seat at the grownups' table while Frazier has to go have a seat with the kids.  I hope that Frazier continues to make this a very hard decision for the Yankees.

Have a great Friday!  Let's just keep winning games in Seattle.  Go Yankees!

Yankees Interested in David Phelps, AJ Ramos

The New York Yankees are said to be interested in adding to their bullpen during this year’s July 31^st trading deadline and the team’s search for bullpen relief may lead them to the Miami Marlins and a familiar face. According to reports the New York Yankees are said to be interested in both David Phelps and AJ Ramos of the Miami Marlins.

According to that guy that blocked us over at the New York Post because we broke a story before him and then requested that he at least mention us or credit us in his article the Yankees have been in connection with Miami regarding Justin Bour, which we knew and have reported here on the blog, but the Yankees have also been poking around asking about both Phelps and Ramos as well. Both Phelps and Ramos are under team control through the 2018 season.

Phelps should be familiar with New York and the atmosphere here as the righty pitched in the Bronx for three seasons before being traded to the Miami Marlins in the Martin Prado deal back in December of 2014.

Heading into the break here are the stat lines for both Phelps and Ramos from Baseball Reference:

There’s no speculation or reports on what it would take to land either of these arms, Bour or Martin Prado who the Yankees have also been linked to and I don’t pretend to know much about the status of the Miami Marlins farm system. It seems like Miami is destined towards another rebuild though and fire sale this July so that opens the door to a plethora of prospects options, something the Yankees have plenty of finally. Stay tuned as this develops, we’ll have it here. 

What the Yankees Can Do if “Tyler Clippard Sucks”

The whole “fill in the blank with the players name Sucks” campaign has really been a running joke here on the blog since the days of Stephen Drew manning second base in the Bronx. Then, admittedly, it was meant to be an insult because Drew was just absolutely terrible for New York but it has since evolved into more of a sarcastic way of saying that the player is struggling. Some players take these struggles and build on them and get better while others let the big lights, the media scrutiny and the fans get to them before folding under the pressure. Which one of these will Tyler Clippard be and what can the Yankees do if Tyler Clippard Sucks going forward? 

The Yankees have a few options, the first option should be to take Clippard out of these high-leverage situations. Let Clippard rebuild some of his confidence in the 6^th inning or with a huge lead or deficit and stop letting him enter in close games for a while. Let Adam Warren have those big innings when he returns from his injury or let Dellin Betances have more than one inning, just don’t let Clippard have them for a while. He needs a confidence boost and letting games get away like he did on Monday against the Angels isn’t helping. 

If you don’t trust Clippard and his track record, and just for the record I do but playing Devil’s Advocate helps write articles and can be fun sometimes, then there seems to be plenty of presumably available relievers out there on the trade market. When looking at who could potentially be available and who isn’t the first thing you look at is the team’s record which will usually tell you if the team will be a buyer or a seller at the deadline. Then you look at that particular team’s bullpen for standout arms with good statistics which brought me to this list of arms the Yankees could potentially look at.  

Pat Neshek of the Philadelphia Phillies will be moved because at the time of this writing he is pitching to a sub-1.00 ERA while the Phillies are on pace for their worst season in the history of Major League Baseball. Not far behind the Phillies are the San Diego Padres in terms of wins and losses despite the efforts of 27-year old left-hander Brad Hand. Hand is under team control until 2020 though so this would likely require a nice package of prospects if he were to be made available. The final arm that looks all but likely to be traded will be right-hander Ryan Madson of the Oakland Athletics who has been pitching well out in the Oakland Coliseum. Entering this week Madson had pitched to a 2.63 ERA and a WHIP under 1.00. 

The Miami Marlins could make or break the trade deadline this year as the team seems to be undecided on whether they will be buyers or sellers. If the team buys then there are at least two arms that come off the potential trade board but if the team decides to sell the Yankees could look at one or both of former Yankees right-hander David Phelps and AJ Ramos. Phelps, like he was with the Yankees, has been the swingman for the Marlins since the Martin Prado trade three seasons ago while Ramos has posted huge strikeout numbers (12.4 K/9) in 2017 despite having an ERA over 4.00.

Stay tuned.

Is it Finally Time for Domingo German?

The youth movement is in full effect here in the Bronx and the team is only going to get younger and more homegrown as this year and next year pass. Out with the old and in with the new is the ultimate saying and as the Alex Rodriguez’s and the Mark Teixeira’s retired last season we saw the emergence’s of Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin and others. Now as CC Sabathia inches towards an end to his Yankees tenure and many others begin their downhill climb towards free agency or retirement the Yankees will need some fresh arms to fill the void. Is one of those arms potentially, and finally, going to be Domingo German?

If you don’t remember Domingo German he was one of the prospects thrown into the deal that sent Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones to the Yankees while Miami got Martin Prado and David Phelps. For a long time this was considered to be a “lost” trade for the Yankees but two years later and with German finally healthy it seems like the Yankees are ready to turn that trade around just a bit. German missed the entire 2015 season with Tommy John surgery and was non-tendered before being re-signed eight days later to a new minor league contract. In 2016 German returned to the mound on June 26^th and finished the season with a 3.12 ERA and 1.047 WHIP between Single-A Charleston and High-A Tampa.

German had his doubters coming through the system and I can even remember reading that his 2015 Tommy John surgery would likely be the end of his career but somehow German has come back stronger and better than he has ever been. German, listed at 6’2” and 175 pounds while capable of throwing in excess of 95 MPH, has worked on a curveball and a changeup to compliment his powerful fastball and many scouts think this can explain the sudden growth from the right-hander.

German may be far away but he is on the team’s 40 man roster so a call up is not completely out of the question this season. It may be as a September call up or it may be in an emergency but this season we could totally see German. I won’t be the one to count him out.

Yankees Prospects Weekly Check In: Brady Lail

The New York Yankees are anxiously waiting as James Kaprielian battles his way back from elbow inflammation leaving a slew of arms vying for that #1 spot in the farm system. Ian Clarkin may be #1 based on projections, Domingo Acevedo may have the best pure stuff but Brady Lail may be the guy that comes up this season and makes a difference on the big league club.

I guess we may as well familiarize ourselves with the Yankees second-half savior candidate huh? And of course I use the term savior in the utmost sarcastic way I can but he can make a difference I believe. Think David Phelps, Adam Warren, Rookie Davis etc.

Year	Age	Lev	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2016	22	AA-AAA	3	2	3.74	8	8	1	43.1	43	24	18	3	19	21	1.431	8.9	0.6	3.9	4.4
2016	22	AA	1	2	4.23	5	5	1	27.2	30	15	13	2	12	15	1.518	9.8	0.7	3.9	4.9
2016	22	AAA	2	0	2.87	3	3	0	15.2	13	9	5	1	7	6	1.277	7.5	0.6	4.0	3.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Meet a Prospect: Domingo German

Domingo German was the fifth piece to move in the trade between the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins on Friday that saw the Yankees David Phelps and Martin Prado and the Marlins Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones change teams. German is an intriguing prospect, although is likely to start in High A Ball in 2016, after coming out of the Marlins and Mariners systems as a highly touted right hander.

When Seattle traded him to Miami he was their 6th best prospect in their system and when Miami let him go to New York he was considered to be their 8th best prospect in the system. German, a native of the Dominican Republic, showcased his talent's in this years Futures Game where he threw a perfect frame as he continued to build on a strong season in Low-A as a starting pitcher. German is 21 years old and entering his age 22 season is likely headed to Tampa with the Tampa Yankees.

German hits 94 MPH with his sinking fastball and compliments it with a slider he is working on and what is considered to be an above average changeup. German posted a 9-3 record last season with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts and 123.1 IP while striking out 113 and only surrendering 25 walks.


German missed the 2015 season with Tommy John surgery and looks to come all the way back in 2016.

TGP Prospects Night Open Thread featuring Nathan Eovaldi

Our fellow BYB Hub friends from ScoutingTheSally.com bring you some video of Nathan Eovaldi when he was still in the minor leagues. As you probably remember Eovaldi was traded to the Miami Marlins in the deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that brought then shortstop Hanley Ramirez to Dodger Stadium. Eovaldi was said to be the center piece of the deal and he has since been traded to the New York Yankees in the controversial deal that involved Martin Prado, David Phelps and Garrett Jones. 

Eovaldi started out the 2015 season sluggish with the Yankees but seemingly got better and stronger as the season went on in New York before an elbow injury ended his season prematurely. Before Eovaldi was a 14-game winner for the biggest franchise in Major League Baseball history though he was a lonely prospect in the South Atlantic League, better know as the Sally, and we watch some of his work here tonight. Enjoy. 

Remembering 2015: Nathan Eovaldi

Meet a Prospect: Domingo German

Domingo German was the fifth piece to move in the trade between the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins on Friday that saw the Yankees David Phelps and Martin Prado and the Marlins Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones change teams. German is an intriguing prospect, although is likely to start in High A Ball in 2015, after coming out of the Marlins and Mariners systems as a highly touted right hander.

When Seattle traded him to Miami he was their 6th best prospect in their system and when Miami let him go to New York he was considered to be their 8th best prospect in the system. German, a native of the Dominican Republic, showcased his talent's in this years Futures Game where he threw a perfect frame as he continued to build on a strong season in Low-A as a starting pitcher. German is 21 years old and entering his age 22 season is likely headed to Tampa with the Tampa Yankees.

German hits 94 MPH with his sinking fastball and compliments it with a slider he is working on and what is considered to be an above average changeup. German posted a 9-3 record last season with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts and 123.1 IP while striking out 113 and only surrendering 25 walks.


German missed the 2015 season with Tommy John surgery and looks to come all the way back in 2016.

Yankees Re-Sign RHP Domingo German

As expected the New York Yankees have re-signed right-handed pitching prospect Domingo German to a minor league deal without, presumably, an invitation to spring training. The Yankees non-tendered the 23-year old last week in order to clear a roster spot on the 40 man roster and have brought him back for at least the 2016 season.

German was acquired last winter in the Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Prado, David Phelps and Garrett Jones deal before having to undergo Tommy John surgery and before missing the entire 2015 season. German was the Miami Marlins 6^th best prospect at the time of the trade.

Welcome back!

Domingo German and Signings Yet to Come?

The New York Yankees non-tendered right-handed starting pitcher Domingo German this week before the non-tender deadline officially making German a free agent. German is a 23-year old prospect originally out of the Dominican Republic that came to the New York Yankees via trade in the Miami Marlins deal that sent Nathan Eovaldi to the Bronx and Martin Prado to South Beach. German suffered a torn UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the trade forcing him to miss the entire 2015 season. The Yankees are currently fighting a 40-man roster crunch and German got the axe to clear a roster spot, does this mean more moves are on the way for New York?

The Yankees didn’t necessarily have to open up a 40 man roster, and truth be told the team will likely bring back German much like they did with Slade Heathcott before 2015, so why did they? Just to have the flexibility of having an open 40 man roster spot? Honestly, and I think I know the Yankees and the way they operate pretty well, that’s not likely to be the case. Something is in the works. The trade front went awfully quiet on Brett Gardner and Andrew Miller and something is going down, call it a hunch.

If the Yankees do lose German on some off chance they would be losing a guy who has posted a 2.05 ERA as a reliever and a starter from 2010-2013 and a fire-baller that has a 142:66 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 170.1 innings. In layman’s terms, an up and coming relief pitcher that is going to be something special. 

Brian Cashman’s Plan to Rebuild the Franchise

Disclaimer: I know going in that this article is not going to be a popular one. Brian Cashman could give 99% of his assets to charity and people would want him to give the other 1%. Cashman could win 160 games and some fans would wonder why the team lost the other two. Brian Cashman could be hounded to hold onto his prospects rather than trading them for 30-something’s (Ben Zobrist) and then when he does get hounded for standing pat and only acquiring Dustin Ackley. There is no winning for Cashman, it’s a tough crowd out here. With that said I believe I have deciphered Cashman’s master plan to not only rebuild the team but rebuild the franchise and I know going in that not many people are going to agree… and that’s okay.

One commenter here on the site specifically has said that the New York Yankees have no farm system to speak of. I disagree, New York just uses their farm system differently. For many years it was to simply acquire the next big thing on the trade market with all eye’s set on another World Series championship. Now that the system is actually beginning to produce talent, finally, Cashman is taking full advantage of that. Cashman is not a talent evaluator, and he’s not paid to be but if he were paid to be he would be terrible at his job, he is a GM that like almost any other GM relies on the scouting reports and the word of his scouts and trusted advisers. Those advisers have led to, just to name a few, the trades that sent Shane Greene out and brought Didi Gregorius in. Trades that sent David Phelps out and Nathan Eovaldi in. Trades that sent John Ryan Murphy out and sent Aaron Hicks in.

Do you see a trend developing here? Cashman cannot simply draft Top 10 talent in the first round so he is acquiring everyone else’s young talent with his young talent. Truth be told most people overvalue Yankees prospects simply because of the caliber of the team, an opposing GM will ask for the Yankees top prospects, get denied and then settle for a much lesser package(on paper) elsewhere. For the longest time that kept Cashman from making the right deals and forced him, if he wanted to keep his job and the “World Series or bust” mantra alive, to overpay thus emptying the farm. Not anymore.

Now Cashman is trading someone, Greene, who never projected to be above a #3 starter and got an everyday shortstop out of it. Go try and find an everyday shortstop on the free agent market or at the trade deadline and then try to get an, at best, #3 starter and see which is easier to acquire. Now Cashman is trading a backup catcher with marginal defense, not my words but from the scouting report and keyboard of Mike Axisa who analyzed the trade for about 5,000 words over at River Ave Blues, for what could be (keywords, could be) an everyday outfielder with speed, elite defense and occasional pop. Now Cashman is trading pitchers who were bounced around back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation and never projected to be more than a 5^th starter or long relief pitcher for an evolving starting pitcher that could, my opinion, be a #2 starter at the current rate of development and projection.

With drafting high and acquiring players who were drafted high you’re always going to have a risk involved with any deal. You don’t want to whiff on high draft picks and when you do you don’t want to trade them too early before they realize their potential. When the team who drafted this high draft pick or acquired this high-end projected talent, most recently Hicks who was a first round talent for Minnesota, you’re also taking a risk. The risk is much less obviously after two or three subpar seasons but the risk is there nonetheless. What Cashman is doing is not just using the quote that is showcased on the Statue of Liberty to take your tired, your poor and your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Cashman is taking you’re high end talent that have played for bad teams and lost the drive to be great, the players that haven’t seen their true potential for whatever reason (late bloomer, no protection in the lineup, bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the Major Leagues, rushed in the minor leagues, small sample size etc.) and is giving them the freedom to breathe free…. Just in New York.

If you’re an opposing GM and you’re reading this, watch out. Brian Cashman is coming for your young talent and he’s going to make them his own. That’s the plan anyway, until someone else catches on. 

Familiar Faces in Different Places… The Recap

The theme of the 2015 offseason for the New York Yankees was new faces in different places as the team saw plenty of turnover from the 2014 season. Francisco Cervelli was gone and John Ryan Murphy was in along with Justin Wilson. David Phelps and Martin Prado were gone while Garrett Jones, Nathan Eovaldi and Stephen Drew were in. Shane Greene was gone and Didi Gregorius was in. Brian Cashman the man credited with making these moves, was raked over the coals when he made these moves but have they surprising worked out for the New York Yankees GM?

Francisco Cervelli:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	120	469	51	124	15	6	39	1	44	83	.300	.378	.404	.782	115

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

John Ryan Murphy:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	61	153	19	39	8	3	14	0	9	37	.281	.322	.417	.740	103

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Justin Wilson:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	5	0	3.04	69	56.1	46	19	19	2	19	62	132	2.52	1.154	7.3	0.3	3.0	9.9

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

David Phelps:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	4	8	4.50	23	112.0	119	59	56	11	33	77	86	4.03	1.357	9.6	0.9	2.7	6.2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Martin Prado:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	120	514	49	134	22	9	56	1	33	65	.287	.335	.396	.731	102

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Garrett Jones:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	57	152	12	31	4	5	17	0	8	37	.215	.257	.361	.618	69

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Nathan Eovaldi:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	14	3	4.20	27	154.1	175	72	72	10	49	121	95	3.43	1.451	10.2	0.6	2.9	7.1

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Stephen Drew:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	131	428	43	77	16	17	44	0	37	71	.201	.271	.381	.652	79

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Shane Greene:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	4	8	6.88	18	83.2	103	67	64	13	27	50	57	5.15	1.554	11.1	1.4	2.9	5.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Didi Gregorius:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	143	537	56	131	22	9	52	4	27	78	.266	.315	.370	.685	89

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

As you can see it clearly looks like the Yankees won the trade involving Wilson for Cervelli. Wilson has been an integral part of the Yankees bullpen and Murphy has been no slouch both behind the plate and at the dish as he backs up Brian McCann.

Say what you will about the body of work that Eovaldi has put forward this season but 14 victories in the Major Leagues is 14 victories in the Major Leagues regardless of his run support. David Phelps didn’t exactly force the Yankees fans to miss him and while Martin Prado would have been a perfect fit for the 2015 Yankees and beyond, he’s under team control at least through 2016, the Yankees needed pitching at the point of the trade more so than the infield help. This one could go either way depending on how pessimistic you want to look at things but I think most people would agree this was another win for the Cashman.

Shane Greene has flopped in Detroit and Gregorius has been in the middle of everything good that is the New York Yankees this season. He hasn’t replaced Jeter but he’s made a lot of us forget about him and I don’t think anyone expected to be reading this in September of 2015, a mere season removed from the Captain’s retirement.