Tony Fernandez has died at 57

Tony Fernandez has died at the age of 57, per reports out of the Dominican Republic. The longtime major league shortstop had been battling kidney problems and had suffered a stroke, and the family apparently elected to remove him from life support this evening.

Fernandez debuted in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays at the age of 21 in 1983, and by 1985 was a full time starter at shortstop for the Jays. Fernandez put up a bWAR of between 3.9 and 5.1 every year from 1985 through 1990, and won four straight Gold Gloves in that stretch.

After the 1990 season he and Fred McGriff were traded to San Diego for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar. After two seasons with the Padres, Fernandez was sent to the New York Mets for D.J. Dozier, Wally Whitehurst and Raul Casanova. In June of 1993 the Mets sent him back to Toronto, where he won a ring as their starting shortstop as they beat the Philadelphia Phillies.

Fernandez bounced around after that, playing for the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as logging two more stints with the Blue Jays, where he ended his career in 2001. He finished up with a career bWAR of 45.3, 30th best of all time among shortstops.