New York Yankees

New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German recently spoke with teammates about the domestic violence allegations that led to his suspension for the entire 2020 season.

Manager Aaron Boone said German addressed pitchers and catchers and position players separately. 

"It was a good step; something that was important to happen and gave everyone a chance to really start that conversation," Boone told reporters. "I feel like he has his teammates' support, and we'll see how that manifests itself over the coming days and weeks."

German was placed on administrative leave in September 2019, missing the remainder of that regular season and playoffs before being suspended an additional 63 games in 2020, which comprised the entire COVID-19-shortened campaign. The 28-year-old recently released a statement Sunday saying he looked forward to addressing the matter with teammates:

"It is important to me that I have the opportunity to speak directly with my teammates, both individually and collectively and address them face to face before I speak to the media and our fans.

"This process has begun but more time is needed, especially since half our team has yet to report to spring training. I recognize that speaking publicly will be an important step for me and I will do so in the upcoming days."

Yankees teammate Zack Britton said last week he was unhappy the team brought German back.

"I think sometimes you don't get to control who your teammates are and that's the situation," Britton told reporters. "I don't agree with what he did. I don't think it has any place in the game or off the field or at all."

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was suspended 30 games for violating MLB's domestic violence policy in 2016. Chapman told reporters through a translator that he and German had a "candid" conversation and reflected on German's recent experiences.

German went 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 2019. He's expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees starting rotation in spring training.

New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German reportedly slapped his girlfriend at a 2019 charity event held by former teammate CC Sabathia.  

Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reported the news, noting the details are part of Major League Baseball's investigation into German.

The right-hander was placed on administrative leave in September 2019 as the league investigated domestic violence allegations against him. He was suspended 81 games for violating the league's domestic violence policy and missed the rest of that season and all of the shortened 2020 campaign.

He is set to return this season.

As for the new details that emerged, Adler reported many of German's 2019 teammates and their families were at the charity event.

However, the league's investigation was primarily about events later that evening when the pitcher allegedly became physically violent toward his girlfriend at his home. Adler cited multiple league sources who claimed German was intoxicated and became physically violent toward his girlfriend, who hid in a locked room.

German's girlfriend reportedly contacted the wife of another Yankees player, who arrived at the house with her husband. German's teammate remained with the pitcher in an effort to calm him down, while the teammate's wife stayed with the victim.

Outfielder Brett Gardner will return to the New York Yankees on a one-year $4 million contract with a player and team option for 2022, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Friday. 

The deal appears carefully constructed to keep New York under the $210 million competitive balance tax with enough money available to make an extra signing or two if needed.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post noted the Yankees' payroll is now projected at $204 million for Opening Day. He does not expect the team to add any more Major League talent this offseason, but the remaining $6 million available before reaching the luxury tax could help the club at the trade deadline. 

#Yankees, for luxury tax purposes, now project to about $204M this year. Gives them 7/31 trade deadline wiggle room if they decide to stay under $210M. I would assume Gardner is the last major league pact they will add this spring without meaningful injury.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 19, 2021

New York Yankees Projected Lineup

SP: Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia

RP: Zach Britton, Chad Green, Jonathan Loasigia, Darren O'Day, Justin Wilson, Aroldis Chapman

C: Gary Sanchez, Kyle Higashioka, Robinson Chirinos

1B: Luke Voit, Mike Ford, DJ LeMahieu, Derek Deitrich

2B: DJ LeMahieu, Tyler Wade, Derek Deitrich, Gleyber Torres

3B: Gio Urshela, DJ LeMahieu, Tyler Wade, Derek Dietrich

SS: Gleyber Torres, Tyler Wade, Gio Urshela, DJ LeMahieu 

LF: Clint Frazier, Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman, Greg Allen

CF: Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman, Greg Allen

RF: Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Greg Allen, Clint Frazier, Giancarlo Stanton

DH: Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier 

Gardner's contract expired at the end of the 2020 campaign, giving him an opportunity to join a team other than the Yankees for the first time in his career. The 2009 World Series champion has spent 13 seasons in the Bronx and figures to be around a while longer. 

During the 60-game 2020 season, Gardner appeared in 49 contests while slashing .223/.354/.392 with five home runs and 15 RBI while mostly hitting from the bottom of the order. 

A return to New York for the 37-year-old gives the Yankees solid depth in the outfield—especially for a team that has found itself relying on back-ups far too often. Injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks over the past few seasons forced New York to use its bench much more than it would like.

Gardner, however, delivered well in that role while providing veteran leadership in the clubhouse as the only remaining member of the Yankees' most recent championship team still on the roster.

If fully healthy, New York figures to enter the season as the team to beat in the American League East.

Returning to the postseason gets a bit easier with Gardner back in the fold.

The New York Yankees and Brett Gardner reached an agreement on a one-year, $4 million deal Friday, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand:

The Yankees and Brett Gardner have agreed to a one-year deal with a $4 million guarantee, per source. Deal includes player and team options for 2022.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 19, 2021

The two sides began discussions on a new contract in recent days to bring the team's longtime outfielder back to the Bronx in 2021. The 37-year-old has yet to wear another uniform during his MLB career. 

Gardner appeared in 49 games for the Yankees last season, slashing .223/.354/.392 with five home runs and 15 RBI. 

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Thursday the Yankees have a specific price range in mind for Gardner and would like to keep any deal around $3 million to avoid exceeding the $210 million competitive balance tax. 

According to Spotrac, New York's payroll sits at $192.2 million as spring training gets underway. 

Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media noted on Feb. 10 the two sides hadn't even begun negotiating yet with the Yankees still mulling over an initial offer:

"According to a baseball source who asked to remain anonymous, the Yankees haven't addressed Gardner's status since last Halloween. That's when the organization announced that it opted to pay Gardner a $2.5 million buyout instead of vesting a $10 million club option for 2021."

It's unclear how much playing time Gardner will receive New York, but given the Yankees' notorious injury problems over the last few years, the team can hardly afford to pass up on reliable depth. 

Clint Frazier is projected to start in left field with Aaron Hicks in center and Aaron Judge in right. Mike Tauchman, Greg Allen and Giancarlo Stanton are listed as backups on the depth chart. Gardner fits in nicely there, especially with Frazier yet to complete a full season in the majors. 

The New York Yankees welcomed back Domingo German to the organization ahead of spring training after the starting pitcher served an 81-game suspension from Major League Baseball for violating the league's domestic violence policy. 

German missed the entirety of the 2020 season, and fellow pitcher Zack Britton didn't seem enthused to see him returning to the team.

"I think sometimes you don't get to control who your teammates are and that's the situation," he told reporters. "I don't agree with what he did. I don't think it has any place in the game or off the field or at all."

Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered a somewhat different take Wednesday. 

"We feel like he's in a good place coming in and now it's on him to go out and kind of resurrect his career and compete for a spot on this team," he told reporters.

German, 28, went 18-4 in 2019 with a 4.03 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 143 innings and looked like a solid starting pitcher going forward for the Yankees. He'll likely compete for a starting spot in the rotation behind Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery. Luis Severino may also return at some point this season following Tommy John surgery.

Major League Baseball investigated German for allegedly slapping his girlfriend in Sept. 2019. He was not arrested and there was no police report; rather, a third party reportedly informed MLB of the situation. 

As for how German will be received by his teammates, that remains to be seen.

"I don't think he owes anything to me," Britton told reporters. "My job is to go out there and pitch and do my job. So that's kind of what my concern is right there. But he doesn't owe me anything. I think that's something he's going to have to deal with on his own and make better choices going forward."

The New York Yankees opted for high-risk, high-reward players in the rotation, but manager Aaron Boone is excited about the possibilities.

New York signed Corey Kluber and traded for Jameson Taillon this offseason, filling out a rotation that Boone praised Wednesday, per Marly Rivera of ESPN:

"When you look at the names, and the guys and the track records, there's a lot of talented people. I think everyone can acknowledge that. I also acknowledge some of the risks and the questions that people will have when you bring in J-Mo [Taillon] and Corey, who haven't pitched a lot in the last couple of years. We feel like they're physically in a very good place and can be championship-caliber contributors to a team. But time will tell."

Kluber is a two-time Cy Young award winner, while Taillon was a highly touted prospect who seemingly reached his potential in 2018 with a career-best 3.20 ERA. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed both players down in recent years.

Taillon missed all of 2020 and made just seven starts in 2019 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Kluber dealt with a shoulder injury in his first start last season and finished with just one inning pitched.

Boone said both players are "ready to go," but it's difficult to predict what they will provide on the mound.

Adding the expected return of Luis Severino after his Tommy John surgery and the Yankees could have three players in the rotation who have combined for just 86 total innings since the start of the 2019 season and just one in the last year.

On the plus side, the Yankees have other options in the rotation, including ace Gerrit Cole. The three-time All-Star lived up to expectations in his first year with the team, going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings.

Jordan Montgomery and Deivi Garcia also have plenty of upside to fill the rotation, while Michael King and Clarke Schmidt are among those fighting for a spot on the staff. Even if some of the players struggle, there are enough options to help the Yankees reach their goal of a World Series.

"As I look at our pitching staff, and what I believe is the potential of that staff and the depth of that staff, I feel like it's in a lot of ways as good as it's been certainly since I've been here," Boone said.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has seemingly penciled in Clint Frazier as the starting left fielder heading into 2021.

"Clint has earned his place," Boone told reporters Wednesday.

Frazier finished last season with a .267 batting average with eight home runs in 39 games, plus a career-high .905 OPS. He has seen inconsistent playing time since making his debut in 2017, totaling just 162 games in four seasons.

Without a minor league season last year, Frazier began the year at the team's alternate site before an injury to Aaron Judge opened an opportunity in August.

Judge will certainly get the nod in right field when healthy, while Giancarlo Stanton is set as the team's designated hitter. It leaves left field as the only other full-time option for Frazier, taking the position held by Brett Gardner for many of his 13 years with the organization.

While Gardner is a fan-favorite, he only hit .223 with five home runs and three stolen bases in 2020.

Frazier provides a bigger impact at the plate with his ability to get on base with regularity while changing games with his power.

The former first-round draft pick was a highly touted prospect but struggled with consistency once he hit the majors. Last year's production should be enough for the Yankees to have confidence in him going forward, trying to improve an offense that led the American League in runs scored last season.

The Justin Wilson-New York Yankees reunion is a go.  

According to Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN, Wilson has agreed to terms on a return to the club for which he pitched in 2015.

The 33-year-old was just across town for the past two years while pitching with the New York Mets. 

Here's a look at the Yankees bullpen now that Wilson has returned (h/t FanGraphs):

• LHP Aroldis Chapman (3.09 ERA in 2020)
• LHP Zack Britton (1.89 ERA in 2020)
• RHP Chad Green (3.51 ERA in 2020)
• RHP Darren O'Day (1.10 ERA in 2020 with the Atlanta Braves)
• RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (3.52 ERA in 2020)
• LHP Justin Wilson (3.66 ERA in 2020 with the Mets)
• RHP Luis Cessa (3.32 ERA in 2020)
• RHP Albert Abreu (1.1 IP in 2020)

The group will be tasked with backing up a rotation that was bolstered by the offseason acquisitions of Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon, who will cycle in alongside Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery and Domingo German.

As for what Wilson adds, he appeared in 23 games in 2020, a year after he recorded a 2.54 ERA and four saves through 45 appearances. 

The California State-Fresno product had a career year with the Yankees in 2015. Through a personal-best 74 outings, he went 5-0 with a 3.10 ERA. The team traded him to the Detroit Tigers following that season, and he was subsequently sent to the Chicago Cubs midway through his second year with the Tigers. 

Wilson slots into a group that ranked 16th in the league in bullpen ERA last year. But given the offseason pickups, that bullpen appears poised to ascend during its 2020 campaign. 

Relief pitcher Justin Wilson is reportedly headed back to the New York Yankees.  

Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN reported the American League East team reached an agreement with the southpaw on Monday. Wilson has been in the major leagues since 2012 and has pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.

Wilson will be another left-handed presence in a bullpen that already features Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton, although he will likely be more of a middle/late-innings option than a closer or pure set-up man.

The 33-year-old pitched for the Yankees in 2015 and finished with a 3.10 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 61 innings while appearing in a career-best 74 games.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see New York use him in similar fashion as someone who can start an inning clean, come in to retire a formidable left-handed hitter or serve as a bridge between the starting rotation and the Britton-Chapman combination at the end of games.

He finished the shortened 2020 campaign with a solid but unspectacular 3.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 19.2 innings while pitching for the Mets. However, he posted an impressive 2.54 ERA in 2019.

Wilson isn't the only bullpen addition for the Yankees this offseason as they also added right-hander Darren O'Day. 

New York, which finished the 2020 season in second place in the American League East before losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Divisional Series, was 16th in bullpen ERA last year and could use some improvements as it looks to ascend to the top of the division.

Justin Wilson could be headed back to the New York Yankees.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported Sunday that the free-agent pitcher was "in serious talks" with the club, where he spent the 2015 season. 

The 33-year-old has pitched for the New York Mets for the past two seasons. 

Wilson amassed a 3.66 ERA through 23 games last season, a year after he picked up a 2.54 ERA across 45 appearances, including four saves. 

A fifth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008, Wilson has a 3.27 career ERA in 480 games. 

After three seasons with the team that drafted him, Wilson was dealt to the Yankees.

He had one of the best seasons of his career when he was with the team in 2015, making a career-best 74 appearances with a 5-0 record and a 3.10 ERA. Following that campaign, the team traded him to the Detroit Tigers, but he was sent to the Chicago Cubs that same season.

If he makes a return to the Yankees, Wilson will join a bullpen group that includes Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton at the forefront. While that could boost the bullpen, it may present a dilemma in the club's quest to re-sign outfielder Brett Gardner.

According to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, the Yankees want to stay under the league's luxury tax threshold, and they're about $10 million away from crossing it. The group has had "recent contract talks" with Gardner, who was with the team on a $12.5 million deal last season.