Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Jose Miguel Fernandez Officially Signed, in Camp

Jose Miguel Fernandez has officially signed his contract, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. He reports to camp as a non-roster invitee.

Fernandez, who defected from Cuba at the end of 2015 and became a free agent last April, reportedly agreed to join the Dodgers in early January.



According to our friend Eric Stephen at SB Nation’s True Blue LA, Fernandez will wear No. 87.

Fernandez can play second and third base, but as Gurnick notes, he’ll start in the minors. He hasn’t played organized baseball since October 2014. The 28-year-old is considered a defensive liability by most scouts, but his bat is appealing. In his most recent complete season, Fernandez slashed .326/.482/.456 in 314 plate appearances.

If Fernandez doesn’t work out, no loss. The Dodgers took a small risk with a potentially high reward. The biggest question will be how long it takes Fernandez to shake off the rust and adjust to MLB-caliber pitching.

Kenta Maeda is dedicated to increasing his stamina

 

Gabe Burns

Gabe Burns is an award-winning journalist. He serves as a reporter and editor at the DodgersNation news desk. He additionally works as editor-in-chief of The Spectator, Valdosta State University's student paper. Gabe's work has been featured on a number of platforms, including Draft Breakdown and Pro Football Spot. His byline has been cited in media such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. Aside from covering Dodgers baseball, Gabe enjoys watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning. He can be followed on Twitter at @GabeBurns_DN.

2 Comments

  1. LOL, Cuban 2nd bseman/3rd baseman, can’t field, hasn’t played for two years….. sounds familiar. Like two other non-major league talents, Oliveras and Guerrero. Well I’m glad the Dodgers figured out they don’t need to pay these guys tens of millions to give their dream a chance.

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