On Tuesday, LIDOM’s Toros del Este traded right-handed relief pitcher Samuel Reyes and former Major League Baseball starter Domingo Germán to the Leones del Escogido in return for infielder Francisco Urbáez.
Germán’s name is the most notable of the three players in the deal as he prepares to make his fourth appearance in the Dominican Republic’s winter league. The 33-year-old pitched for six seasons with the New York Yankees (2017-19, 2021-23), and had a brief seven-game stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024. Germán is the most recent MLB pitcher to throw a perfect game, collecting 27 consecutive outs against the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum on June 28, 2023.
Germán made four starts for the Toros last winter, allowing 10 earned runs on 14 hits in 11.2 innings. He didn’t experience much better success with the Toros de Tijuana this summer in Mexico, posting a 4.91 ERA with five walks allowed in 11 innings.
Reyes, 29, is yet to make his LIDOM debut. He most recently threw 53.1 innings out of the Charleston Dirty Birds’ bullpen in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, striking out 58 in the process. The Bajos de Haina native signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals in the offseason of 2023 and spent the following season at Double-A Harrisburg.
Urbáez is knocking at the door for his first MLB promotion, slashing .314/.381/.464 with 32 doubles and a .845 OPS in 97 games at Triple-A Louisville this year, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. He played seven games with Escogido during the winter season of 2023-24 and went hitless in 16 plate appearances.
Final Week of Preseason Games – There are still a few preseason games to play before LIDOM’s regular season kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
The Leones and Toros meet at Estadio Francisco A. Micheli in La Romana on Wednesday. Ahead of next month’s matchup at Citi Field, the Águilas Cibaeñas and Gigantes del Cibao will play on Thursday at Estadio Julián Javier in San Francisco de Macorís. Friday and Saturday are the final days of preseason contests.
The three-game series between the Águilas and Gigantes from Nov. 7-9 at Citi Field will count towards the regular season standings. The Águilas have won 22 LIDOM championships and six Caribbean Series titles since the league was founded in 1951. The Gigantes were established in 1996 and have won two LIDOM Championships.
Photo: Domingo German throws to the Texas Rangers in a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
