The Royals have signed right-handed pitcher Junior Fernández to a minor league deal, the group introduced. He final pitched in MLB in the course of the 2022 season.
Fernández signed with the Cardinals as a world free agent in 2014 and made his MLB debut in St. Louis 5 years later. Sadly, he was by no means capable of set up himself within the Cardinals bullpen. Over components of 4 seasons with the membership, he pitched to a 5.51 ERA and 4.78 SIERA in 50 2/3 innings of largely low-leverage work.
The Cardinals designated Fernández for task in 2022, and the Pirates scooped him up off of waivers. He made three scoreless appearances for Pittsburgh on the finish of the 12 months, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to avoid wasting him from one other DFA. After a short stint within the Yankees group that offseason, Fernández was DFA’d as soon as once more. The Blue Jays had been the subsequent group to assert him, and, as he absolutely got here to anticipate, the subsequent group to DFA him just some weeks later. This time, nonetheless, Fernández handed via waivers. The Blue Jays despatched him outright to the minors, the place he pitched to a 5.69 ERA and 5.92 FIP in 42 video games with Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto launched him earlier than the 12 months was up, and he spent the ultimate weeks of the season pitching at Triple-A within the Nationals group. His 2.79 ERA in 9 2/3 innings was extra spectacular, however his matching 13.6% strikeout and stroll charges had been ugly.
Following the 2023 marketing campaign, Fernández elected free company and signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines of NPB. Sadly, his profession abroad was short-lived. An damage restricted him to only two appearances in Japan earlier than the Marines launched him.
Now coming into his age-28 season, Fernández will look to get again to the majors with the Royals. Whether or not or not he succeeds will doubtless depend upon his arm well being and velocity. In 2022, Fernández was averaging near 99 mph and usually hitting triple digits with each his sinker and his four-seam fastball. Regardless of his management points, velocity like that is sufficient to make him an intriguing arm. Nevertheless, his velocity was down a tick whereas he was pitching at Triple-A in 2023. Now, his largely misplaced 2024 season makes it exhausting to foretell what to anticipate from his arm in 2025. That mentioned, the Royals presumably scouted him within the Dominican League, the place he’s been pitching this winter. Regardless of his 6.43 ERA and 16.2% stroll charge in 14 innings of labor, they will need to have preferred what they noticed sufficient to deliver him on board as bullpen depth for the 2025 season.
