Red Sox acquire German from Yanks in Ottavino deal

Frank German is about to learn the other side of one of baseball's most intense rivalries.

The Yankees have traded their No. 24 prospect to the Red Sox in a deal centered around veteran reliever Adam Ottavino, the clubs confirmed Monday. Boston receives up Ottavino, German and $850,000 while New York acquires a player to be named later or cash considerations, as well as space under the competitive balance tax threshold and on the 40-man roster. The exact dollar amount comes from multiple reports, including that of MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

This is the first trade between the two rivals since they swapped infielders Stephen Drew and Kelly Johnson at the 2014 Trade Deadline. It's the first time the Sox and Yanks have done a deal involving a Minor Leaguer since Aug. 13, 1997.

The #RedSox today acquired RHPs Adam Ottavino and Frank German and cash considerations from the New York Yankees, in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

— Red Sox (@RedSox) January 25, 2021

German was a fourth-round pick of the Yankees out of the University of North Florida in 2018. His most recent Minor League performances came at Class A Advanced Tampa in 2019, where he posted a 3.79 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 35 walks over 76 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander was limited by shoulder issues that summer, which may have affected his command, and also made three rehab appearances in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

The 6-foot-2 hurler has a mid-90s fastball and the makings of an above-average changeup. His slider rounds out the arsenal but was a below-average offering back in 2019. German showed impressive control in college -- he had a 1.4 BB/9 rate in his junior year -- and could return to that form the further away he gets from the shoulder soreness of two years ago. He enters a Boston system in need of depth across the board but especially in pitching, given the issues Red Sox starters had in the Majors in 2020.

Ottavino should strengthen the Major League bullpen portion of that equation, even after a shaky 2020. One year after posting a 1.90 ERA in 73 appearances for the Yankees, the 35-year-old right-hander saw that figure balloon to 5.89 over 24 appearances in 2020. He struck out 25 batters, walked nine and produced a 1.58 WHIP over 18 1/3 innings for the Bronx Bombers. However, his 3.52 FIP was only narrowly worse than his 3.44 mark in 2019, and the Red Sox will be betting that his wicked slider and impressive sinker can still be effective.

Ottavino's contract counts $9 million toward the CBT in 2021, and he is scheduled to become a free agent after the upcoming campaign. The Yankees also needed to clear 40-man roster space for the expected free-agent signings of DJ LeMahieu and Corey Kluber.