April 5, 2023

Official Hamilton Cardinals News Release

HAMILTON, Ont. – The Hamilton Cardinals have re-signed former Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Fernandez for the upcoming 2023 season.

Fernandez, 30, a native of Mao, Dominican Republic, signed with the Cardinals last season and posted a 0.86 ERA with 45 strikeouts and just four walks over 21 innings of work.

“Fernandez owns the intangibles of an arm that can instill fear in a hitter, and we expect him to shine in Hamilton,” said George Halim, Cardinals general manager. “It’s tough to imagine not competing when you have Jose – he’s the exclamation mark in our bullpen.”

Originally signed by the Blue Jays in 2012, Fernandez moved up through their minor league system before making his MLB debut in 2018, where he pitched in 13 games. In 2019, Fernandez made four appearances for the Detroit Tigers.

Fernandez has accumulated 233 appearances in the minors with a 13-13 record, 25 saves, an ERA of 3.84 and 309 strikeouts in 337 1/3 innings.