MLB Rumors: Yankees AL East rivals have a terrible idea to increase their chances

Former New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán has completed an inpatient treatment program for alcohol abuse. With his sobriety intact, German wants to return to Major League Baseball. A couple of Yankee rivals are reportedly talking with the oft-troubled pitcher.

Luckily for him, pitching is the number one need this offseason. With just weeks before Spring Training, talk will ramp up to finalize deals.

Mark Sanchez of the NY Post is reporting Germán has six teams interested in acquiring his pitching services. Two of the six teams are Yankee rivals in the AL East - the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. Sanchez said the New York Mets have also shown interest but appear to be the least favorite to make a deal.

Former Yankees pitcher Domingo German has interest from six teams

Germán could be in luck with so many teams looking for pitching this offseason. Most teams are looking for dependability, though. If Germán's last few seasons are any indication, he isn't the guy needed. Germán's has been involved in multiple incidents.

Germán entered an alcohol treatment program after his season ended on Aug. 3, following a clubhouse incident with the Yankees. According to reporting from the NY Post, Germán got into an altercation with teammates and manager Aaron Boone.

"During the incident, the pitcher reportedly flipped over a couch, smashed a TV, and was held in a sauna as the team tried to get him to sweat out the alcohol. He was placed in a team nap room as team security watched over him, but it’s uncertain when he left Yankee Stadium."

This is unfortunate, considering how well he did early in the season. Germán threw a perfect game against the Oakland A's for the Yankees in June. That was his bright moment for the season. He was 5-7 over 30 games for the Yankees, pitching 108.2 innings. He had a 4.56 ERA with 114 strikeouts.

The clubhouse incident was not Germán's first brush with trouble. Germán was suspended 81 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons for an alleged domestic violence incident. In May 2023, he was suspended ten games for failing a foreign substance inspection.

While Germán could be a high-risk, low-cost option for a team, there aren't many clubs looking for that this offseason. Teams need reliability. The Blue Jays and Orioles each need reliable pitching, and with his history, Germán might be unable to produce.

This could be a disastrous move for the Blue Jays and Orioles. The two clubs each have a good, young core of players with needs for good pitching. Germán is not what's needed for either team.