Pirates finally end experiment with pitcher they never should've signed in the first place

The Pittsburgh Pirates are designating right-handed pitcher Domingo Germán for assignment, as first reported by MLB insider Robert Murray. The move creates a space on Pittsburgh's active roster for left-handed reliever Joey Wentz, whom the Pirates claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers earlier this week.

Germán has spent most of the 2024 campaign with Triple-A Indianapolis after signing a minor-league deal with the Pirates in the offseason. He opted out of that deal in July, but quickly re-signed a new contract to stay in Indianapolis, where he ultimately made 13 starts with a 5.29 ERA. He struck out 21.9% of batters faced and recorded a 10.3% walk rate.

The Pirates selected Germán to the big-league roster just under a month ago, and have been using him in a swing role at the Major League level. He has made seven appearances with the Pirates, including two starts, with a 7.84 ERA, 18% strikeout rate and 13% walk rate. He started against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, allowing six earned runs over three innings of work en route to a 12-0 Pirates loss.

Pirates finally end the Domingo Germán experiment, one they never should have undertaken in the first place

Germán will be placed on waivers in the coming day and will likely go unclaimed. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, so it's fair to expect that he'll be on the open market again soon ... and he may be there for a while.

Prior to signing with the Pirates ahead of the 2024 campaign, Germán's reputation had been tarnished due to numerous off-field issues over the last few years while he was a member of the New York Yankees, including an 81-game suspension for violating the MLB-MLBPA joint domestic violence policy in 2019; a 10-game suspension for violating MLB's foreign substance policy in May 2023; and a trip to the restricted list while he underwent treatment for alcohol abuse last September.

Combined with his off-field issues, Germán's less-than-stellar stint in Pittsburgh could spell the end of his Major League career – maybe this time, for good.

More Pirates content from Rum Bunter