The Yankees agreed to a minor league contract with veteran right-hander David Hernandez, as was first reported by Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune (via Twitter). The Yankees didn’t make any formal announcement of the move, but Hernandez actually pitched last night for the team’s Triple-A club.
Hernandez, 34, was released by the Reds on Sunday after struggling through most of the 2019 season. The veteran signed a two-year, $5MM contract with Cincinnati prior to the 2018 season and pitched well in the first year of that deal, logging a 2.53 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 0.84 HR/9 and a 32.9 percent ground-ball rate. The 2019 season has fallen on the opposite end of the spectrum, though, as Hernandez was shellacked for an 8.02 earned run average in 42 2/3 innings.
Hernandez has already allowed more homers (seven) than he did in 64 innings last year (six), and his BB/9 mark has jumped from 2.4 to 4.2. That said, he’s averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine inning pitched, the second-best mark of his career, and has actually seen his velocity improve over last year. After averaging 93 mph on his heater in 2018, Hernandez is averaging 93.6 mph in that regard in 2019. He’s also sitting on career-highs in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent) and opponents’ chase rate (35.3 percent).
While his diminished control has certainly been a factor in his poor results, Hernandez has also been plagued by a .393 average on balls in play and a fluky 54.5 percent strand rate. That BABIP is the second-highest mark of any pitcher in baseball with at least 40 innings pitched (trailing only Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes), and only three pitchers have seen a lower left-on-base percentage in 2019. Hernandez carries a career 75 percent strand rate, making this season’s alarmingly low rate seem all the more likely to be an aberration.
There’s no guarantee that the veteran Hernandez will round back into form in a new setting, but he’ll look to right the ship in a lower-pressure setting with Triple-A Scranton — likely in hopes of emerging as a September callup for the Yankees. New York would only owe Hernandez the prorated league minimum for any time he spends on the big league roster, as the Reds will remain on the hook for the rest of this season’s $2.5MM salary.
Thanks for taking a pass here Klentak
What would it matter either way?
Well if he didn’t pass go he wouldn’t have collected 200$.
“Hernandez actually pitched last night for the team’s Triple-A club.”
He sure did, blew a save in his first game.
Start collecting that crap cuz you didn’t play correctly over the off season.
Yeah, I mean, they only have the best record in baseball. What gives? Total screw up club.
Louiebeans 4/4/19: “I’m now watching Phillies games and finding other teams to watch who are young have have owenres who wanna win.”
How’s that working, bud.
Stalker card issued.
Lol god help me.
What’s the story here fellas?
You’ll be singing a different tune come Post Season.
I don’t know how much I buy this idea that certain pitchers have lost the ability to control the baseball. I think the real issue in a lot of these cases is the juiced baseball and the spike in power. With the ball getting hit harder and further than ever before, pitchers start playing more to the corners and walk more batters.
It’s a lot harder to be successful inside the strike zone than ever before, and a lot of pitchers haven’t been able to adjust to the new style of baseball. Pitch to contact isn’t really a viable strategy anymore.
He is throwing the ball harder. He must have lost a little bit of velocity from last year and changed his mechanics a bit to try to get it back. Since he has found almost an additional MPH over last year mechanics would be my best guess. Pitchers don’t gain velocity in their mid 30’s. They lose it in buckets.
Hitters are playing to their strengths and not even trying to beat a defensive shift. Gone are the “small ball” days because math guys say that exit velocity/line drive rates outweigh single hits. I don’t dispute this. It’s an ever-evolving game so adapt or ride the bus.
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