Fernandez relishes chance to give back at Thanksgiving

To opposing hitters, Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez is remarkably stingy. To denizens of south Florida, however, the 23-year-old is becoming known for his generosity.

Though his name has surfaced repeatedly in trade rumors of late - as well as in some unflattering reports about his relationship with the Marlins' front office - Fernandez still helped distribute turkeys last week to local families in need with Thanksgiving just around the corner.

Fernandez - the one-time All-Star who made his season debut July 2 following a 14-month recovery from Tommy John surgery - also signed autographs and posed for pictures.

"It means everything," Fernandez told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. "What can I say? Being out here with the families, giving back to the community.

"I'm here in Miami. I live here now," Fernandez added. "I'm not too far away. It's something where I can talk to people a little bit and interact, because I enjoy doing this. It's fun."

Despite experiencing a considerable health setback early in his career, Fernandez still has plenty to be thankful for. Only five years after his harrowing defection from Cuba - his first three attempts to leave the island amounted to nothing more than several months in prison for the teenager - Fernandez was pitching for the Marlins, tormenting National League hitters en route to the 2013 Rookie of the Year award.

The next year, a faulty ulnar collateral ligament ended his season in May, but the resilient hurler returned with aplomb in 2015, authoring a 2.92 ERA with a 5.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 11 starts upon returning from the disabled list. And even after missing more than a year recovering from surgery, the nascent stages of Fernandez's career are still historically exceptional: only six other pitchers made at least 40 starts with an ERA below 3.00 and a strikeout rate above 25 percent before turning 24.

"Thanksgiving, when you're sitting with your friends and your family around the table, you really appreciate the special moment and the special day," Fernandez said. "To me, it means a lot."