The Washington Nationals officially released right-handed pitcher Julian Fernandez on Wednesday. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week and removed from the 40-man roster.
Fernandez was on the minor league injured list at Triple-A Rochester when all this started. The injury hasn’t been disclosed, but it complicated things. Because he was hurt, the team couldn’t just outright him through waivers. So they tried to trade him. No one bit. He cleared waivers without being claimed, and now he’s a free agent.
The 30-year-old has pitched in parts of three big league seasons, including 2026. But it’s only been 15 2/3 innings total. In those innings, he’s given up 14 runs (12 earned) on 15 hits and eight walks. He struck out 12. Five of those 15 hits were home runs. That’s not great.
A Long Road to the Show
Fernandez used to be a prospect with some shine. The San Francisco Giants grabbed him from the Colorado Rockies in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft right after he turned 21 in A-ball. But that season? Wiped out. He tore his UCL in spring training and spent the whole year on the 60-day injured list. The Miami Marlins claimed him off waivers later. Then he ended up back with Colorado after not meeting the Rule 5 requirements. He also missed all of 2019.
For three years, he didn’t pitch in the minors at all. Injuries plus the canceled 2020 season will do that. In 2021, he finally got back on the mound. Across Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a 2.53 ERA with a 23.7% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate over 42 2/3 innings. That earned him his MLB debut that same year.
But things faded. From 2022 to 2023, he struggled with the Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. In 2024, he pitched in Mexico. Last season, he got back to the majors in limited action with the Los Angeles Dodgers and then the Nationals.
At Triple-A last year, Fernandez had a 4.17 ERA with a 28.5% strikeout rate and a 7.7% walk rate in 54 innings. Before the injury, he was sitting on a 3.27 ERA over 11 innings. It looked like he might be finding something. Then the injury hit, the trade market went cold, and now he’s looking for his next chance.
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