Fernando Abad

Fernando Abad
Born	(1985-12-17) December 17, 1985 La Romana, Dominican Republic
Occupation	Professional baseball pitcher
Years active	2006–present
Known for	Pitching in Major League Baseball for multiple teams including Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies; currently playing for Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in the Mexican League

Fernando Antonio Abad (; born December 17, 1985) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in the Mexican League. His Major League Baseball (MLB) career includes stints with the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and Colorado Rockies.

Houston Astros

Abad launched his professional journey in 2006 with the Dominican Summer Astros, achieving a 5–2 win-loss record and an impressive 1.32 ERA across 15 games (11 starts), while striking out 64 batters over 61⅓ innings.

During the 2007 season, he divided his time between the Greeneville Astros and Tri-City ValleyCats, compiling a combined 6–4 record, a 4.25 ERA, and 59 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. The next year, pitching for the Lexington Legends, Abad recorded a 2–7 record with a 3.30 ERA in 45 relief outings, fanning 94 batters over 76⅓ innings.

In 2009, Abad split his season between the Lancaster JetHawks and Corpus Christi Hooks, finishing with a 4–7 record, a 4.00 ERA, and tallying 92 strikeouts in 96⅔ innings.

Across three seasons within the Astros organization, he appeared in a total of 88 games, posting a cumulative 1–11 record alongside a 5.10 ERA and accumulating 65 strikeouts over 84⅔ innings. On November 1, 2012, Abad was removed from Houston’s 40-man roster and assigned outright to Triple-A with the Oklahoma City RedHawks.

Washington Nationals

Abad inked a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals on November 22, 2012. He was promoted to the major league roster following an injury to Ryan Mattheus, delivering a solid performance with a 3.35 ERA in innings out of the bullpen. However, on November 20, 2013, he was designated for assignment by Washington.

Oakland Athletics

On November 25, 2013, the Nationals traded Abad to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league outfielder John Wooten.

In his debut season with Oakland, Abad pitched in a career-high of 69 games while posting a personal best ERA of 1.57 over innings. The subsequent season saw him surrendering 11 home runs in less than 60 innings pitched, which contributed to his designation for assignment after the conclusion of the 2015 campaign; he then chose to enter free agency.

Minnesota Twins

Abad signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins on December 17, 2015. After making the team's Opening Day roster, his contract was selected on April 2, 2016. That year, he became an essential bullpen member, finishing with a 1–4 record and a solid 2.65 ERA while striking out 29 batters across 39 appearances.

Boston Red Sox

On August 1, 2016, Abad was traded by Minnesota to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Pat Light. During the 2017 season, he took part in 48 games and posted a respectable 3.30 ERA along with recording 37 strikeouts over innings pitched. He elected free agency on November 2, that same year.

Long Island Ducks

Abad signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on February 17, 2018, which included an invitation to spring training; however, he was released on March 21. Shortly thereafter, on March 25, he agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Mets. On June 7, Abad received an eighty-game suspension after testing positive for Stanozolol, a banned performance-enhancing substance; subsequently, he was released by New York.

On August 3, 2018, Abad signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Over the course of nineteen appearances, he posted a flawless record of 1-0 with an exceptional ERA of 0.48 while striking out twenty-three batters and earning two saves across innings pitched. He became a free agent following that season.

San Francisco Giants

Abad inked a minor league agreement with the San Francisco Giants on February 16, 2019. Splitting time between Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, he achieved a 2.70 ERA, accumulating 55 strikeouts and 13 saves across 50 innings pitched. The Giants promoted him to their major league roster on August 15. During 21 appearances in MLB, Abad posted a 4.15 ERA with nine strikeouts over 13 innings. The organization chose not to exercise their option on November 2, which made him a free agent.

New York Yankees

Abad rejoined the Washington Nationals on a minor league contract dated December 18, 2019, but was released on July 17, 2020. Shortly thereafter, on July 24, 2020, he signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees. He entered free agency again on November 2.

Baltimore Orioles

On December 16, 2020, Abad signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. After competing for Toros del Este in the Dominican Professional Baseball League and representing the Dominican Republic in the 2021 Caribbean Series, he recorded a 4.26 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 26 appearances at Triple-A for the Norfolk Tides. The Orioles added him to their major league roster on August 15, 2021.

Saraperos de Saltillo

Abad joined the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League on March 23, 2022. In four relief outings totaling four innings, he posted a 2-0 record with a 2.25 ERA and seven strikeouts.

Seattle Mariners

On May 4, 2022, Abad agreed to a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. While pitching for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, he compiled a 3.56 ERA and struck out 32 batters across 40 appearances. He opted for free agency following the conclusion of the season on November 10.

Colorado Rockies

Abad signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies on January 9, 2023, beginning his tenure with their Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes. There, he posted a strong 1.69 ERA with 20 strikeouts and two saves in 13 appearances. His contract was selected to join the major league squad on May 15. After allowing three runs over innings in three games, he was designated for assignment on May 21 and subsequently released on May 24. He re-signed a minor league contract on May 30 and was recalled to the majors again on July 2.

On July 18, Abad secured his first victory in more than six years by helping lead the Rockies to a narrow 4–3 win against the Houston Astros at Coors Field. Following six appearances with an ERA of 4.26, he was designated for assignment once more on July 19 after Brent Suter was activated. After clearing waivers, Abad was outrighted back to Albuquerque on July 22 before being released from the Rockies organization on August 15.

Milwaukee Brewers

Abad signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers organization on August 25, 2023. Over nine outings for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, he recorded a challenging 7.88 ERA while striking out eight batters and earning two saves in eight innings pitched. He elected free agency after the season concluded on November 6.

Saraperos de Saltillo (second stint)

On February 24, 2024, Abad returned to play for the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League. Across 42 appearances, he compiled a record of 2–1 with a 4.65 ERA, tallying 31 strikeouts and three saves over innings pitched. His tenure with Saltillo ended when he was released on March 19, 2025.

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna

On April 8, 2025, Abad entered into a contract with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna team competing in the Mexican League.

Pitching style

Abad's pitching repertoire features a four-seam fastball ranging from 94 to 97 mph, a sinker clocked between 92 and 95 mph, a curveball thrown at speeds of 78 to 83 mph, and a changeup moving at 75 to 79 mph. His approach typically involves deploying the sinker and changeup when facing right-handed batters, while relying on the four-seamer and curveball against left-handed opponents. Additionally, he sporadically delivers an eephus pitch at approximately 55 mph.