The Yankees are going to claim outfielder Yanquiel Fernández off waivers from the Rockies, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Colorado designated him for assignment a week ago. The Yanks haven’t yet officially announced this claim. When they do, they will need to make a corresponding move to open a 40-man spot.
Fernández, 23, was one of the top prospects in the Rockies’ system as of a few years ago. An international signing out of Cuba, Fernández boosted his stock with a strong 2023 season. He hit 25 home runs across three different levels, topping out at Double-A. Going into 2024, the Rockies added him to their 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. Baseball America ranked him the #3 prospect in the organization and #92 in the whole league.
His stock has dipped since then. He has taken 147 big league plate appearances with a .225/.265/.348 line and 29.9% strikeout rate. In 409 Triple-A plate appearances, his .259/.320/.437 line looks decent at first glance but actually translates to a 77 wRC+ in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. The declining offense is significant for Fernández. He doesn’t steal a ton of bases and is a corner outfielder. He has a strong arm but isn’t considered an especially strong defender. His best path to providing value is crushing the ball.
The Rockies just overhauled their front office, moving on from general manager Bill Schmidt in the fall. It seems the new regime, led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, wasn’t bullish on his chances of getting back on track. Fernández has a minor league option remaining and could have been kept in Triple-A as depth but the Rockies bumped him off the roster as they made buy-low pickups of slightly more experienced players like Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien.
The Yankees have a fairly crowded outfield at the moment. They project to have Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger getting regular playing time on the grass with Giancarlo Stanton in the designated hitter spot. They also have Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones in the mix and have been sniffing around the market for righty platoon guys like Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater. Guys like Marco Luciano and Seth Brown are around as non-roster depth.
That picture could change over time. There are some injury concerns in there, particularly with Stanton. There has been some trade speculation surrounding Domínguez and Jones. For now, Fernández figures to be way down the depth chart. The Yankees might try to pass him through waivers at some point in the future. If he hangs onto his roster spot, he figures to get regular playing time in Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
The Yanqui way!
Apropos
YAHN-kee-el
OOOOH-Kay
Yanqui The Yankee
But…why?
Because the Yankees only have Spencer Jones, Kennedy Corona, Duke Ellis, and Seth Brown in AAA
Isn’t Seth Brown a former power-hitting outfielder/firstbaseman for the Oakland Athletics a few years ago or is this a clone?!
Asking for a friend
its him
It’s his friend.
My Corona
Just what they needed another left hand hitting outfielder!!
Please please trade Domínguez off this team Boone is a disaster.
What does trading Dominguez have to do with Boone?
Boone has never liked the kid and never given him enough of an opportunity the kid is very talented if he is given the opportunity and Boone only wants veterans.
The Yankees were in a division race last year, and Dominguez was only about a league average hitter with a below average glove. Dominguez may be young and have potential, but those can’t be the only reasons to play him if you have better players and are in a close playoff race.
I get that part for sure you seen what the kid has in him before he blew out his arm when he came up…….my point is either give him the opportunity to play or trade him so we can get something in return now while he has good value and by using him as a pinch hitter this year where if he stays here that’s all he’s gonna be unless injury happens.
The odd thing is is he’s still gaining experience here. I don’t really see a reason to trade him. Chances are good that he gets a slot next season as long as he hits when he plays this season.
@KMFN Jasson wasn’t better than Bellinger, Grisham and obviously Judge last season. He’s the 4th OF right now. Not Boone’s fault.
@KMFN If JDom had been a steady glove in LF, surely Boone would’ve played him more and Cashman wouldn’t have traded for Austin Slater. Grisham may not have even received a Q.O. Belli will be get time at 1B as well so there will opportunities for JDom in LF. Trading him now with his value at its lowest wouldn’t be a smart move.
I might as well add my three cents. Dominguez was a disappointment, if I am honest. We have been hearing about the Yankees touting him as being at least a solid everyday player to even a star. He was no where near good enough for even a fourth outfielder. For the games I watched, which were few, he proved to be a nightmare in the outfield. Maybe he shouldn’t have played LF? Whatever the reason, if he doesn’t get it together this year, most fans will consider him a bust.
That’s fair but keep in mind that JDom has had only 468 MLB plate appearances and is 22. Judge was a “bust” during his first cup of coffee at 24.
@The Raven I agree. I still think he can be solid, but he’s looking more like a Joc Pederson-type player, rather than the star many projected him to eventually become. That’s still a solid, strong-side platoon player, but still.
Why would something he could do well before blowing out his arm and not being able to do well anymore matter though?
That’s my point you put him on the field everyday see what he can do everyday for a full season or you trade him now and get something to help in immediate otherwise like you said he will have no trade value going into 2027 and will be a bust at that point.
If they don’t play him regularly this year his value is gonna get lower than what it is now and that’s whats gonna happen this season.he will get at most 200-300 abs the way this is setting up right now barring injury.
Well Dominguez has to play himself out of the situation he’s currently in. He didn’t play well enough in 2025 to earn regular playing time. That also puts him in a situation where the Yankees aren’t going to trade him because he is at his lowest value.
So glad I kept Grisham and didn’t trade him for Dominguez straight up when offered
@KMFN
If that were true then why would he give Volpe, Wells, Cabrera, Rice, Gil, Schlittler so much playing time? Why would be so patient with Volpe and defend him? He gave Dominguez 400 AB and sure the only issue was that Grisham emerged and had a better ST and start to the season.
@KMFN
It’s not a matter of “if” an injury happens, it’s “when”? Any injury to Stanton, Judge, Beli, Grisham, Rice or Wells and he had a path to bring a starter. Besides, NY guarantee they’ll bring Grisham back in 2027 or Stanton for that matter
@TheRaven
Most fans are impatient and/or stupid. I heard the same things about Bernie Williams and Rob Cano. Each took a year or two to get it together. It’s happens for a lot of prospects a d it’s called
“growing pains”. But still, I’m this day and age, is a .250/.340 lime with a 10% walk rate bad for most players, let alone a 22 year Ole rookie? His glove was the biggest disappointment but I don’t know why they didn’t start him in CF which was his natural position.
at age 22, you’ve decided that? ridiculous.
I thought it was weird the Rockies cut him, but it’s weirder that 26 teams passed on him.
The never ever player changes on the 40 man roster. This is the day of the Yankees lives.
Corner outfielders with no speed and weak defense (although Yanq does have one of the best arms in baseball) are just a dime a dozen. They have very little value, just one step up from 1B-only guys. They have to CRUSH the ball to be interesting even as a claim, and he hasn’t crushed lately. He’s also one of those dudes who may eat his way out of baseball.
Says the cartoon duck
double_spider_man.gif
I also thought Cashman wanted to get another RH player. Andujar begging for another chance
This won’t block it.
@mlb
I’m sure Andujar didn’t was by to get pegged into a platoon guy. he likely wanted to go somewhere to prove he could be a full time DH and earn a better deal in 2027.
Colorado Yankees
More accurately: New York Rockies
First part is Rocky Mountain the second part is High: this will work
Is it just me, or do the Rockies jerseys pictured look like rec league softball jerseys?
Or are all rec league softball players Rockies: heh? Heh?
Yanks replacing one waiver claim with the next one that is slightly better. If they get lucky they can get to keep the former if they clear waivers. All these players have talent with some of them being pretty high draft picks.
They will need someone to take the place of Jones in the minor leagues when Jones is up in the Majors hitting 45 home runs this year
That would be nice but I’m not betting on it. 150 K’s in 80 games more likely if he’s called up
Oh yee of little belief
For all the know it all fans out there I present this article
mlb.com/news/mlb-players-who-struggled-first-in-th…
More for the fan who thinks they know everything
mlb.com/news/greatest-late-bloomers-mlb-history
Burst the bubble of know it all fans
mlb.com/news/mlb-players-who-were-underrated-as-pr…
NYY AAA has no players right now. NYY keeps trying to claim players so they can pass them through waivers and into AAA. They did it with Luciano but failed with Siani and Ort. Wouldnt surprise me if we see “NYY DFA Yanquiel” in a few days.
They don’t need to DFA Fernandez, he has an option.
they just DFAed Hamel. So lets see
Options don’t get you 40-man roster spots
Tigers Fans….. we lost another great Tiger today. The great Mickey Lolich. He was number one in strikeouts for lefties (until Carlton, Sabathia, Johnson, and Kershaw). Almost 3,000 Ks, over 200 wins.. WS champ, WS MVP and an all star. RIP great Tiger
Yanquee go home!
would have liked him in Cincy instead of Benson.
More interesting depth acquisition than some 29 year-old minor league lifer. Like Luciano, it”s more likely than not that he doesn’t put anything much together and spends the season in Scranton, but it brings more intrigue to the AAA roster than most depth guys.
Yanquiel reporting for duty. Dandy. Yanquiel Duty Dandy.
What’s Yanquiel? Rick Ankiel’s cousin from Staten Island?