Yanquiel Fernandez

The churn at the end of the Yankees 40-man roster continued Wednesday, with the club taking a flier on another outfielder.

The Yankees made a roster move on Wednesday, claiming outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.

There's no room in the Yankees outfield for Fernandez, with both Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez not even getting at-bats; however, this is a good claim for the Yankees. Fernandez is just 23 years old and hit .284/.347/.502 with 13 home runs and just a 14 percent strikeout rate in 64 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025. He also posted a 46 percent pull rate, which should play for a left-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium.

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…

The Rockies had room on the 40-man roster, so this is a bit surprising. Fernandez is just 23 years old and hit .284/.347/.502 with 13 home runs and just a 14 percent strikeout rate in 64 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025. That success didn't carry over in his 147 MLB plate appearances, but it was his first crack at the big leagues. There might be something more going on here, but if not, he will certainly get claimed on waivers.