Yankees moving top prospect Deivi Garcia to Triple-A bullpen

With only 12 regular-season games remaining on the RailRiders’ schedule, the Yankees have decided to move their No. 1 prospect, Deivi Garcia, to the bullpen as a possible audition for a September big league call-up.

At 68-60 (.531 winning percentage), the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders currently hold a one-game lead over the Syracuse Mets for first place in the International League North division.

Therefore, if the RailRiders are to march all the way through the Division Playoffs and then the League Championship Series, that would add a max of six additional contests to the 2019 season.

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Why this is so important to the big league team is because on Thursday, the Yanks announced that their No. 1 prospect, Deivi Garcia, would officially move into a bullpen role for the remainder of the Triple-A season.

Speculation and intermittent reports have suggested that the Yankees could very well promote Garcia sometime after the major league rosters expand to 40 — but would only do so if the 20-year-old right-hander proves he can be an asset out of the ‘pen (Triple-A or not).

Having never pitched more than 74 innings in a season above Double-A (2018), Garcia has already exceeded 103.2 frames across three different levels of the minors this year.

Without a set schedule, like he would have in the RailRiders’ starting rotation come this Friday against Lehigh Valley, manager Jay Bell will now fully monitor the extra usage of the Yanks’ top farmhand — as he told Conor Foley of The Times-Tribune.

"“It’s a couple different reasons,” Bell said. “One, just to preserve pitches and that kind of stuff. But they also want to see if he’s an option in New York in September. So, we’ll see what happens there.”"

Naturally, when asked if Garcia’s move to the bullpen has anything to do with an upcoming promotion, general manager Brian Cashman played it coy in a text to the New York Post.

Cashman merely said, “maybe.” He then typed the words “will evaluate.” Way to keep us on the edge of our seat, Cash.

To-date, Garcia has only pitched as a reliever, a total of four times in his young career — the latest coming last week in a game that was opened by Ben Heller, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Garcia would go on to toss five shutout innings, striking out seven but walked five.

Garcia’s four career relief appearances have each been four or more innings (18.2 in total) while allowing just one run on four hits, six walks and a whopping 29 strikeouts.

Yes, it’s highly likely that Garcia is given a glimpse of big-league life in September; however, any chance of him making the postseason roster would not only depend on the recovery of Dellin Betances, who has missed the entire season with a shoulder impingement — but also if Garcia can cut down on his 4.4 BB/9 this season.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com recently asked Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild what would be Garcia’s key to success at the next level — to which Rothschild replied, command.

"“Being able to throw your second and third pitches for strikes and locate the fastball and all those things. I’ve watched tape of him but it’s hard for me to tell without seeing him, where he is with stuff and seeing him out of the bullpen, which we haven’t.”"