{"id":555775,"date":"2026-02-05T09:20:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/555775\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T09:20:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:20:21","slug":"yankees-claim-outfielder-yanquiel-fernandez-off-waivers-from-rockies-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/555775\/","title":{"rendered":"Yankees claim outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez off waivers from Rockies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brian Cashman has clearly decided that if he can\u2019t find value in the bargain bin of the American League, he\u2019s going to go mining in the Rocky Mountains. It\u2019s becoming a bit of a pattern, isn\u2019t it? On Wednesday, the New York Yankees<\/a> reached back into the Colorado Rockies\u2019 discard pile, claiming outfielder Yanquiel Fern\u00e1ndez off waivers.<\/p>\n

This move is just the latest in a bizarrely busy pipeline between the Bronx and Denver. Just a few days ago, we saw them flip minor league first baseman T.J. Rumfield for Angel Chivilli, a righty who throws 97 mph but somehow owned a 7.06 ERA last year. Before that, it was Jake Bird. Now, it\u2019s Fern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n

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The Allure of the Mile-High Projects<\/p>\n

To make room for the new guy, the Yankees had to shove right-hander Dom Hamel off the 40-man roster<\/a>. Hamel has been playing musical chairs with the waiver wire for months, bouncing from the Mets to the Orioles to the Rangers and now into the Yankees\u2019 DFA limbo. He might have better control than most, but the Yankees obviously think a 23-year-old lefty power bat is worth the roster crunch.<\/p>\n

Yanquiel Fern\u00e1ndez is the definition of a \u201cSavant\u201d darling that hasn\u2019t quite figured out how to play baseball yet. His bat speed is close to 75 mph, which puts him in the upper echelon of the league. He swings the stick hard. He also has a cannon for an arm.<\/p>\n

\"MLB:<\/p>\n

Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Power, Whiffs, and Coors Field Lies<\/p>\n

The problem is the actual production. In Triple-A last season, Fern\u00e1ndez slashed .284\/.347\/.502, which looks great until you realize he was playing in the Pacific Coast League where everyone hits like prime Barry Bonds. His wRC+ was actually a 98\u2014two percent below league average. When he got to the majors, things got ugly.<\/p>\n

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He posted a 55 wRC+ across 52 games with a strikeout rate pushing 30 percent. You can\u2019t survive in the Bronx hitting .225 and swinging at everything that moves. But the Yankees are betting on their \u201cLab.\u201d They think that if they can get him to stop chasing and use those 110 mph exit velocities on balls in the zone, they have a monster.<\/p>\n

The Risk and the Scranton Reality<\/p>\n

Is he going to start in right field on Opening Day? No, absolutely not. The outfield is already a crowded house with Jasson Dom\u00ednguez and Spencer Jones knocking on the door, and that\u2019s before we even talk about the veterans. Fern\u00e1ndez is a depth piece, a low-risk lottery ticket that Cashman is hoping turns into a winning scratch-off.<\/p>\n

\"MLB:<\/p>\n

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

If he clears the upcoming hurdle of being useful in Spring Training, he\u2019ll head to Scranton to work with the hitting coaches. The Rockies are an organization in flux, recently overhauling their front office, and it seems they just didn\u2019t have the patience to fix a kid who strikes out this much. The Yankees, for better or worse, always think they\u2019re the smartest guys in the room when it comes to refining raw tools.<\/p>\n

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