Former Red Sox pitching prospect Ryan Fernandez has made the Cardinals Opening Day roster.
St. Louis selected Fernandez in December’s Rule 5 Draft after the Red Sox left him unprotected. His Rule 5 status means he must remain on the Cardinals’ active roster for the entire regular season (barring an IL stint) or be returned to Boston for $50,000.
Fernandez has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and reaches 98-99 mph. He dominated at Portland during the first two months of 2023 but he then struggled after a promotion to Triple-A Worcester (6.16 ERA, 30 ⅔ innings).
Fanatics Sportsbook
10X$100 BONUS BET
BET MATCH BONUS
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)
Baseball America wrote before the Rule 5 Draft, “Few available Rule 5 pitchers can match Fernandez’s stuff” and his “combination of velocity and feel for spin could be successful in a major league pen next season.”
The 25-year-old made nine relief outings for the Cardinals during spring training. He allowed four runs, nine hits (two homers) and one walk while striking out six in 9 ⅔ innings.
Boston also lost No. 3 pitching prospect Shane Drohan in the Rule 5 Draft to the White Sox. The lefty is expected to begin the season on Chicago’s IL after undergoing nerve decompression surgery on his lefty shoulder in February. Boston initially selected Drohan in the fifth round of the 2020 Draft out of Florida State.
Drohan reaches the mid-90s with his fastball and throws a plus changeup.
