The Rockies are designating former top outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez for assignment, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Between the Fernandez DFA and this morning’s trade of right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli to the Yankees (in exchange for non-roster first baseman T.J. Rumfield), Colorado has cleared two spots on its previously full 40-man roster.
Fernandez just turned 23 on New Year’s Day but has exhausted two of his three minor league option years. He made his major league debut with the Rox this past season but hit just .225/.265/.348 with a 30% strikeout rate in 147 trips to the batter’s box. Fernandez has struggled in parts of two Triple-A seasons as well, hitting a combined .259/.320/.437 through 409 plate appearances despite very hitter-friendly environments.
In the 2023-24 offseason, Fernandez landed on the back end of top-100 lists at Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus. At the time, he was coming off a .265/.313/.486 showing with 25 home runs in 521 plate appearances across three levels, topping out as a 20-year-old in Double-A. Given that power output and his youth relative to the competition he was facing at the time, Fernandez was seen as a potential power-over-hit corner outfielder with a plus-plus throwing arm. A future as an everyday right fielder seemed attainable, but his aggressive approach and lack of plate discipline have hindered the final stages of his offensive development.
Between Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak and trade acquisition Jake McCarthy, the Rockies didn’t necessarily have immediate playing time for Fernandez. However, he still has a minor league option remaining and all four of those outfield alternatives have some questions about their health and/or recent performance, making it at least a mild surprise to see Fernandez jettisoned from the 40-man roster.
The Rockies will have five days to trade Fernandez before he has to be placed on outright waivers. Given his remaining minor league option, his former pedigree, and his plus power and arm strength, there’s a good chance another club will take a speculative look via either a small trade or waiver claim.