The Yankees continued to tweak the backend of their 40-man roster on Wednesday, claiming outfielder Yanquiel Fernández off waivers from the Rockies.
Right-hander Dom Hamel, recently claimed off waivers himself, was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Fernández.
A former top-100 prospect, the 23-year-old Fernández is a lefty-swinging corner outfielder, so he projects as a depth piece after the Yankees lost some Triple-A outfielders in recent months. The Cuba native played his first 52 major league games for Colorado last season and hit .225 with a .613 OPS, four home runs and 11 RBI.
Fernández has demonstrated some pop in the minors, totaling 77 dingers over 1,816 at-bats for the Rockies’ affiliates. He hit .284 with an .849 OPS, 13 home runs and 39 RBI over 64 games at Triple-A last season.
Most of Fernández’s defensive work has come in right, where he has a cannon for an arm. He averaged 97.2 mph on his throws last season, per Baseball Savant, which put him in the 100th percentile and ranked second behind Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz.
Fernández is the latest ex-Rockie to join the Yankee since the summer, joining Angel Chivilli, Jake Bird and Ryan McMahon.
With a minor league option remaining, Fernández gives the Yankees an additional outfielder with major league experience after Michael Siani was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers earlier this week. The Yankees have also brought in Marco Luciano and Seth Brown, among others, though those two are not on the 40-man roster.
Something would have to go wrong for any of these players to make an impact on the Yankees, as Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger are slated to start for the club in 2026. There’s also Jasson Domínguez, currently projected to be the fourth outfielder with the team still exploring the addition of a right-handed hitter, and prospect Spencer Jones.
