Yankees Add Kyle Higashioka and Domingo German to the 40-Man Roster

The New York Yankees added catcher Kyle Higashioka and pitcher Domingo German to the 40-man roster on Friday rather than lose them as minor league free agents this winter.

Slowly but surely, the New York Yankees 40-man roster is taking shape. The team ensured that two promising young players would remain with the organization for the foreseeable future on Friday, by adding catcher Kyle Higashioka and Domingo German to their big league roster. Neither guy is a household name, but there is a strong possibility both could make a contribution in the Bronx next season.

Adding Higashioka gives the Yankees four catchers on the 40 man, which isn’t ideal, but he really gave the team no choice with the season he’s had. The 26-year-old has always been a strong defender behind the plate, but he broke out with the best offensive campaign of his nine-year professional career, hitting .276/.337/.511 with 21 home runs in 416 PA split between Double-A and Triple-A.

Does the decision to retain Higashioka make it more likely that Brian McCann and/or Austin Romine is moved this offseason? Not necessarily, but it certainly makes parting with either guy more palatable. McCann especially is currently miscast as a DH/backup, so if some team makes the right offer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mac traded, opening up an avenue for Higashioka to get some playing time next year.

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German was one of the organization’s top pitching prospects before missing the entire 2015 campaign to TJ surgery. He came over from Miami along with Nathan Eovaldi after the 2014 season, but didn’t make his debut in the Yankees organization until June of this year. He made 10 starts for Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa down the stretch, putting up a solid 3.08 ERA while striking out 19.6% of opposing batters and walking 5.9%.

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In addition to Higashioka and German, New York activated the five occupants of the 60-day disabled list, Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Rumbelow, Chad Green, Branden Pinder, and Dustin Ackley, placing them back on the active roster. Of that group, Eovaldi and Ackley stand out as candidates to be non-tendered, meaning their days in pinstripes could be numbered.