# Scouting Reports For New Cardinal Pitchers: Ryan Fernandez, Nick Robertson, Victor Santos

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/scouting-reports-for-new-cardinal-pitchers-ryan-fernandez-nick-robertson-victor-santos/
- Published: 2023-12-11T15:30:00-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

### **Scouting Reports for the Cardinals’ newly acquired pitchers**

#### **Ryan Fernandez was selected in the Rule V Draft, while Nick Robertson and Victor Santos were acquired in trade.**

Over the last couple of weeks, the Cardinals added some backend, right-handed bullpen
help from the Red Sox; [Ryan Fernandez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=fernan000rya,fernan001rya&search=Ryan+Fernandez&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
was selected with the 6th pick in the Rule V Draft while [Nick Robertson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=roberni01,robert007nic&search=Nick+Robertson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
and [Victor Santos](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=santovi01,santos004vic&search=Victor+Santos&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
were acquired for [Tyler O’Neill](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=oneilty01,oneill001tyl&search=Tyler+O'Neill&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br).
Here’s a quick rundown of that the Cardinals got.

**Ryan Fernandez, RHP06/11/1998
2018 – 23rd Rd, Boston Red SoxHillsborough CC (FL)

He’s not the biggest pitcher (6’0″ 170 lbs) with little projection left in his body.
He throws from the 3/4 slot with a jerky, stiff delivery. He’s got a quick arm and
solid mechanics. He throws 5 pitches:

 * Fastball sits 95-97, tops out at 99. Unfortunately, he has fringe command and
   control. The ball has good movement; it can flattens at higher velocity, but 
   has down zone sinking action. It’s a potential plus pitch if he can get his command
   and/or control in a more consistent place.
 * His 90-93 cutter is legit. The pitch has a high spin rate which generates great
   movement. He misses bats with the pitch and is considered an out pitch. A plus
   level pitch.
 * His 85-88 slider also high spin and good movement; it comes out of his hand looking
   like the cutter, just slower with more break. It’s considered an average pitch
   but plays up because of his cutter.
 * An 80-84 curve with vertical break and quick down action. It’s inconsistent and
   he doesn’t throw much any more. A below average pitch that’s needs a lot of work.
 * He also has an 83-85 changeup that flashes vertical drop. Like the curve, it’s
   inconsistent and he’s stopped throwing it. It could be average with refinement.

He’s a low leverage reliever right now, but could move into a late inning guy with
improvement on his fastball control/command. At this point, he looks like a guy 
they could stash at the end of the bullpen. His floor is mop up guy; his ceiling
is #5 starter. I expect him to be a 7th or 8th inning guy eventually.

As a Rule V guy, he’s got to stick on the 26-man roster all season, or he’ll have
to be offered back to the Red Sox. The Sox left him exposed because he’s a little
bit older for a minor league pitcher; it doesn’t mean there isn’t value there, but
there are other guys they liked better in their organization.

Robertson and Santos were acquired for O’Neill over the weekend. The deal might 
look like a loss for the Cardinals, but if you look closer at the pitchers they 
got, it’s not as bad as it looks on the surface.

[⌊Scouting Reports: Nick Robertson⌉⌊Scouting Reports: Nick Robertson⌉[

**Nick Robertson, RHP07/16/1998
2019 – 7th Rd, Los Angeles DodgersJames Madison 
University

Robertson was traded from the Dodgers to Red Sox with [Justin Hagenman](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hagenm000jus&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
for [Enrique Hernandez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernaen02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
and cash at the trade deadline in 2023.

Robertson is a good sized pitcher (6’6″, 265 lbs) who’s frame has maxed out. He’s
said to have a “bulldog mentality”, which is used a lot for closers. He had [Tommy John](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnto01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
surgery in 2017, prior to being drafted. He made his MLB debut 6/7/23 for the Dodgers,
pitching 18 innings of 6.04 ERA baseball; solid 10.48 K% in majors. Throws form 
a 3/4 slot and sets up as far as possible on the 1st base side of the pitching mound.
He can hide the ball well until late in his throwing motion; it’s made him effective
against righties, but lefties have hit him hard. He has 3 pitches:

 * Fastball sits 94-96, tops out around 99. The pitch has some vertical drop and
   he misses bats with it. It’s a potential plus pitch due to speed/movement combo
   if he can get a little more drop to it; if it doesn’t improve, it’s still considered
   above-average.
 * 87-89 changeup with good sink and fade. Struggled with command of the pitch at
   times and is currently inconsistent. The pitch is current considered above average;
   could be a plus pitch if he can command it better.
 * His 84-86 slider, average pitch right now that he doesn’t throw much. It’s a 
   nice to have with the 2 pitches that are above-averaged creeping to plus.

This was a solid pickup. If Robertson can get his fastball or change to the next
level and learn to pitch to lefties, he’s looking like a potential closer down the
line.

[⌊Scouting Reports: Victor Santos⌉⌊Scouting Reports: Victor Santos⌉[

**Victor Santos, RHP7/12/2000
Not drafted, signed out of the Dominican Republic 
in 2016

Santos was traded from the Phillies to the Red Sox for [C.J. Chatham](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=chatha000cj-&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br)
at the trade deadline in 2021; it was considered a win at the time for the Red Sox
because they got an intriguing arm for a utility player.

Another bigger frame (6’1″, 220) that’s done filling out at this point. He throws
from a 3/4 arm slot with a high effort delivery that is repeatable; these pitchers
typically struggle with command, but Santos is the exception with great command.
He’s also a quick worker on the mound, which keeps hitters off-balance. He missed
2023 with unreported arm injury, but he’s been well pitching in Dominican Winter
League. He’s got 4 pitches:

 * His sinker sits 90-92 and tops out at 93. Plus control and command of the pitch,
   but he doesn’t miss many bats with the pitch. A prime example of pitch to contact.
   Opposite of most pitchers and uses the pitch in support of his change and slider.
   It’s a borderline average pitch.
 * 4-seam fastball sits 92-94, touching 95. Again, good control and command of the
   pitch. Doesn’t have velocity to get away with high pitch, so he doesn’t throw
   it much. It’s considered below-average.
 * An 82-84 change that has been reported as a split-change. He throws it with deceptive
   arm speed. It tunnels his fastball and has good separation and late dive. It’s
   an above-average pitch because of the tunneling.
 * 83-86 slider with 2-plane movement, meaning horizontal break with good drop; 
   he does struggle to get the pitch to end in zone frequently. More of an average
   pitch now, but works well with the change.

He’s more of a swingman type pitcher in the long run; he lacks a good fastball to
be starter or high leverage reliever when it’s all said and done. He does mix his
pitches and get outs, so he’s got the potential to make the roster in the next year
or so. He’s one of those high floor, low ceiling players the Cardinals really like;
a new version of [Jake Woodford](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/woodfja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2023-12-11_br).

Like most [Cardinal](https://www.nyrdcast.com/tag/st-louis-cardinals/) fans, I was
a little disappoint in the return for O’Neill; when you really look at what the 
[Cardinals](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals) got and what O’Neill has turned into,
it’s a fairly solid return. Plus they now have 3 pitchers that are low cost at the
back of the roster, which allows them to spend a little more on more sure thing 
arms for the bullpen.

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