Blue Jays Claim Reliever From Yankees Off Waivers

New York claimed Fernández from the Pirates in November.

Junior Fernández’s time with the Yankees lasted less than two months. Now he’s a member of a division rival.

The Blue Jays claimed the 25-year-old right-hander off waivers on Thursday after New York designated him for assignment on Dec. 21. The Yankees originally claimed Fernández from the Pirates on Nov. 18; he’s never pitched for them.

Fernández has a 5.17 ERA for his career over 54 major league innings with the Cardinals and Pirates. He enjoyed success over a limited sample in 2022, however, registering a 2.41 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 18.2 frames for Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

A fireballer, Fernández’s fastball velocity was in Baseball Savant's 98th percentile last season and has never been lower than the 94th percentile. However, the pitch’s spin has never been impressive.

Walks have also been an issue for Fernández; he allowed 10.8 BB/9 last year and has a 5.8 mark for his career.

In other small Yankees pitching news, the Nationals signed veteran Anthony Banda to a minor league deal on Wednesday. The 29-year-old left-hander appeared in two games with the Yankees in 2022, allowing three earned runs over two-thirds of an inning before being designated for assignment in September. He also pitched for Toronto and Pittsburgh last year, though he finished the season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate.

Banda, who owns a 5.64 ERA across parts of six MLB seasons, elected free agency in October.

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