The Yankees offseason has been criticized by many, but they made another move today that could pay dividends. They have claimed Yanquiel Fernandez off waivers, a former top OF prospect in the Rockies organization and a top 100 prospect in MLB.

What makes this so interesting is that Fernandez isn’t just a former prospect now in his late 20s or early 30s; he is just 23 years old and is only two seasons removed from being a hot commodity. It is surprising that the Rockies would give up on a player this young.

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Fernandez’s career to date:

Signed out of Cuba as an international prospect, he turned heads in the 2023 season, hitting 25 homers in the minor leagues. Following the 2023 season, he entered 2024 ranked as the number three overall prospect in the Rockies organization and came in at number 92 league-wide.

• The problem is that when he finally got a taste of big league action, he struggled. He struck out at an alarming rate, and even in his AAA at bats, he was pedestrian, batting just .259 in the Pacific Coast League, which is considered to be a very hitter-friendly environment.

• Fernandez possesses average speed and base running ability. He is considered an average fielder with an above-average arm, so his best path to contributing at the big league level will be with his bat and his raw power.

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How he fits in New York:

Being a power-hitting left-handed hitter is a good start if you want to be successful in Yankee Stadium. The issue for Fernandez is that in the immediate, there isn’t a lot of available at-bats for him at the big league level. The Yankees have a crowded outfield with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez.

• They also have Giancarlo Stanton clogging up the DH spot when he is healthy, and one of their top prospects, Spencer Jones, is a left-handed hitting outfielder just like Fernandez is. Jones is an above-average fielder, though, and a good base runner, which gives him a clear advantage over Fernandez.

Longer-term outlook:

Grisham is on a one-year deal, Stanton is getting much older and is seemingly injured every season, and there have been rumors that the Yankees could trade Dominguez if the right deal came along. All three of these factors could contribute to Fernandez getting a chance to prove himself in the Bronx.

• Of course, if he gets off to a hot start in Spring Training or to his minor league season, he could force the Yankees hand to give him a big league opportunity.

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