"It has been over three years since Fernandez last pitched in a Major League game. He had a brief stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024 but his time in Japan was mostly spent recovering from injury. Beyond that cup of coffee in NPB, Fernandez pitched at the Triple-A level with the Blue Jays and Nationals in 2023, and with the Royals' and Mets' top affiliates last season. Over 43 combined Triple-A innings in 2025, Fernandez posted a 4.40 ERA and a very impressive 29.5% strikeout rate, but also an inflated 14% walk rate."
"This has essentially been the story of Fernandez's career, as his control problems have kept him from maximizing his upper-90's velocity. At the MLB level, Fernandez has continued to issue walks but hasn't been able to miss many bats - he has a 5.17 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, and 13.9% walk rate over 54 big league innings with the Cardinals and Pirates from 2019-2022."
Junior Fernandez signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks in November and received a Spring Training invite to big league camp. Fernandez has not pitched in the majors since 2022 and had a brief, injury-affected stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024. He logged Triple-A innings with multiple organizations, posting a 4.40 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, and 14% walk rate across 43 innings in 2025. Major league results include a 5.17 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, and 13.9% walk rate over 54 innings from 2019-2022. Arizona views the non-roster invite as a low-risk chance to fix his command and potentially bolster the bullpen.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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