The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MORE Bahamian minor league prospects received their minor league assignments to begin the 2022 season this week.

Los Angeles Angels prospect Trent Deveaux joined D’Shawn Knowles with the Inland Empire 66ers (Single-A), BJ Murray was assigned to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Single-A) while Chavez Fernander returned to the Erie Seawolves (Double-A).

Fernander, a 24-year-old, Detroit Tigers’ prospect, returned for his first full season with the Seawolves at the Double-A level.

He made his season debut yesterday in the Seawolves’ 2-1 loss to the Akron RubberDucks at UMPC Park in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The 6’3” 205 pound right-handed pitcher recorded two strikeouts in two innings.

Fernander spent Spring Training with the Tigers’ main club after concluding 2021 with the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.

Several Bahamians have advanced to the AFL in recent history including Champ Stuart in 2016, Anfernee Seymour in 2017, Jazz Chisholm Jr and Lucius Fox in 2018.

Fernander, completed his 2021 regular season with the Seawolves in the AA Northeast League. He appeared in 22 games with one start. He went 1-1 in three starts with a 3.60 ERA, three saves in three opportunities, and had 38 strikeouts in 40 innings.

Fernander began the season with the Tigers’ High A-affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps. In 11 appearances with two starts, he posted an 1-1 win-loss record with 18 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.86 in 18.2 innings.

In 2019, he played with the Connecticut Tigers in the New York-Penn League. In 11 appearances with eight starts, he went 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 35 innings.

Fernander was selected by the Tigers in 2018 the 35th round with the 1035th overall pick. In his first professional season, Fernander spent time with the GCL Tigers in the Gulf Coast League before a brief call up to Connecticut. He finished 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA, 41 strikeouts and five saves. His series of standout performances on the mound led the Tigers to the league championship. He recorded nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings in the deciding game.

Deveaux, 21, spent the 2021 season in the Arizona Rookie League. In 22 games he hit .300 with a .355 OBP, .728 OPS, 20 hits, eight RBI and two stolen bases.

In 2019, Deveaux spent 52 games in the Arizona before he joined Knowles in a previous stint with the Orem Owlz in the Pioneer League. In Arizona, he hit.247 with 53 hits, 23 RBI, 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 14 stolen bases, a .332 OBP and a .994 OPS. He spent just eight games with the Owlz and recorded five hits, home run and two RBI.

“Deveaux’s carrying tool is his speed, which gets 80 grades from evaluators, though he’s still learning how to get out of the box quickly and to be a consistent basestealing threat...There have been glimpses of tapping into his raw power, but they’ve been inconsistent,” his prospect analysis said, “Defensively, Deveaux can run down just about anything in the outfield, but he’s still outrunning mistakes on reads, showing some of the same inconsistencies there that he does in the batter’s box. He’s still young enough to figure it out, but some mental maturity will need to be shown in order for him to turn his still-raw tools into consistent performance.”

Murray, 22, also advanced to the Single-A level within the Chicago Cubs organisation for the first time when he was assigned to the Pelicans.

After he was selected by the Cubs with the 22nd pick in the 15th round, no. 454 overall and spent his first season in the Arizona Complex League.

Through 16 ACL games, Murray hit .286, slugging .482 with a .826 OPS, 16 hits, including two home runs, three doubles, a triple, 12 runs scored an eight RBI

His season was highlighted by a 4 - 4 game in his ACL Cubs’ 9-5 loss to the ACL Giants Orange. Murray hit a two-run home run, singled on a line drive to left field in the third, singled on a fly ball to right field in the sixth, and singled in the eighth to right field. He also added his first stolen base of the season.

Murray was drafted following a star studded career with Florida Atlantic University. He had an accolade filled year in 2021 and received conference-wide recognition for his breakout sophomore season. He was named a 2021 All-Conference USA second-team selection as voted on by league coaches, SID’s and media members.