German was added to the 40-man roster Friday.
Since his first appearance in the Yankees organization, German has been outstanding, most recently posting a 3.08 ERA in 10 starts between the Class-A and High-A levels, so the Yankees decided to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old is still a good distance away from the big leagues, but if he can stay healthy in 2017, he could work his way up to the higher levels of the minors by the season's conclusion.