On Thursday, the Toronto Blue Jays added a hard-throwing right-hander to their bullpen, claiming reliever Junior Fernandez off waivers from the New York Yankees.
The 25-year-old fireballer made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019, but never found a permanent role in their stacked bullpen.
Over 47 appearances with St. Louis, Fernandez posted a 5.51 ERA.
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed the hard-throwing righty off of waivers during the 2022 season.
Late in the year, the right-hander found himself on waivers again, only for the Yankees to step in and claim him.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com provided the news on Twitter, with a Cardinals fan retweeting and saying “Blue Jays got their Cardinal.”
This is of course a reference to trade talks that the Blue Jays were having with St. Louis at the onset of the offseason.
With Yadier Molina retired, the Cardinals were showing interest in Blue Jays catchers Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen.
A deal did not come to pass, as the Cardinals ultimately signed Willson Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million contract.
Fernandez has often struggled with his command, but does possess a live arm that could benefit the Blue Jays.
The right-hander enjoyed a few brief stints at the Major League level in 2022, posting an ERA of 2.93 in 13 games with St. Louis.
He appeared in three games with the Pirates and did not allow an earned run.
The Blue Jays have been busy this offseason when concerning their pitching, having already inked veteran starter Chris Bassitt to a three-year deal.
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