The Toronto Blue Jays have made another bullpen acquisition, this time claiming right-hander Junior Fernández off waivers from the New York Yankees on Thursday, the team announced via social media.

ROSTER MOVE: We’ve claimed RHP Junior Fernández off waivers from the Yankees. pic.twitter.com/dbXJZANkKy
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) January 5, 2023

Fernández, who spent most of last season with the St. Louis Cardinals, is no stranger to the waiver wire as he was designated for assignment in September and ultimately claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. But the 25-year-old’s tenure in “The Steel City” only spanned a few months before he hit waivers again in November, eventually claimed by New York.
The 6-foot-3 hurler returned to the waiver wire just over a month later and now finds himself joining the Blue Jays organization with the calendar flipped to 2023. And he’ll be looking to build off a disappointing 2022 performance.
In his fourth big-league season with St. Louis, Fernández registered a 2.93 ERA over 15.1 innings in relief, but he could’ve fared far worse, evidenced by his concerning 5.85 FIP and 11.4 per cent walk rate. The young righty also struggled to prevent home runs, posting a 1.76 HR/9 and a 25 per cent HR/FB ratio. And he was also worth minus-0.3 fWAR.
Fernández didn’t surrender a run over his three appearances with the Pirates, although he walked four of his 14 batters faced and only str …

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Author: Thomas Hall / Blue Jays Nation