Fernando Antonio Abad (; born December 17, 1985) is a Dominican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who is a free agent. He previously played in MLB for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

, and

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

Professional career

Houston Astros

Abad began his professional career in 2006, pitching for the Dominican Summer Astros. That year, he went 5–2 with a 1.32 ERA in 15 games (11 games started). He also struck out 64 batters in 61 innings. He split 2007 between the

Greeneville Astros The Greeneville Astros were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Rookie-level Appalachian League from 2004 to 2017. They represented the town of Greeneville, Tennessee, though Pioneer Park, their home stadium, was located in nearby T ...

(17 games, four starts) and

Tri-City ValleyCats The Tri-City ValleyCats (often shortened to Cats) are a professional independent baseball team based in Troy, New York. The Tri-City name refers to the three nearby cities of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy which make up New York State's Capital D ...

(two games), going a combined 6–4 with a 4.25 ERA, with 59 strikeouts in 53 innings. In 2008, he pitched for the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

, going 2–7 with a 3.30 ERA in 45 relief appearances, striking out 94 batters in 76 innings. Abad pitched for the

Lancaster JetHawks The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League ...

(41 games) and

Corpus Christi Hooks The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team is owned by ...

(three games, all starts) in 2009, going a combined 4–7 with a 4.00 ERA, striking out 92 batters in 96 innings of work. In 3 seasons with the Astros, Abad went 1–11 with a 5.10 ERA in 88 games while striking out 65 in 84 innings

Washington Nationals

On November 22, 2012 he signed a minor league contract with the

. He was called up to the big leagues when

Ryan Mattheus Ryan Arthur Mattheus (born November 10, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Cincinnati Reds. He is a sinkerballer. ...

was placed on the disabled list and he posted a 3.35 ERA in 37.2 innings out of the bullpen. On November 20, 2013, he was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

Oakland Athletics

On November 25, 2013, the Nationals traded Abad to the

for minor league outfielder John Wooten. In his first season in Oakland, Abad pitched a career high 69 games with a career low 1.57 ERA in 57.1 innings. Abad regressed the following season, allowing 11 home runs in under 60 innings. The Athletics designated Abad for assignment after the 2015 season, and he later elected free agency.

Minnesota Twins

Abad signed a minor league deal with the

in December 2015. He became an integral part of the Twins' bullpen in 2016. Despite a 1-4 record, Abad had a 2.65 ERA in 39 games for the last place Twins.

Boston Red Sox

On August 1, 2016, the Twins traded Abad to the

for

Pat Light Patrick James Light (born March 29, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. In early 2023, Mr. Light attempted to move on from his baseball pa ...

. In 2017, Abad appeared in 48 games for the Red Sox, pitching to a 3.30 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 43.2 innings of work. On November 2, 2017, Abad elected free agency.

Philadelphia Phillies

On February 17, 2018, Abad agreed to a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

that included an invitation to spring training. He was released on March 21.

New York Mets

He signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

on March 25. On June 7, 2018, Abad was suspended 80 games after testing positive for

Stanozolol Stanozolol (Abbreviation, abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceuti ...

, a performance-enhancing substance and was released by the Mets upon the announcement of the news.

Long Island Ducks

On August 3, 2018, Abad signed with the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...

of the independent

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. He became a free agent following the 2018 season.

San Francisco Giants

On February 16, 2019, Abad signed a minor league deal with the

. On August 15, the Giants selected Abad's contract. He posted an ERA of 4.15 in 21 games.

Second stint with Washington Nationals

On December 18, 2019, Abad returned to the

, signing a minor league deal. He was released on July 17, 2020.

New York Yankees

On July 24, 2020, Abad signed with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

organization. He became a free agent on November 2, 2020.

Baltimore Orioles

On December 16, 2020, Abad signed a minor league contract with the

organization. After the 2020 season, he played for

Toros del Este The Los Toros del Este (formerly Azucareros del Este) are a baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several pl ...

of the

Dominican Professional Baseball League Dominican may refer to: * Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean ** People of the Dominican Republic ** Demographics of the Dom ...

(LIDOM). He has also played for Dominican Republic in the

2021 Caribbean Series The 2021 Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) was the 63rd edition of the international competition featuring the champions of the Colombian Professional Baseball League, Dominican Professional Baseball League, Mexican Pacific League, Panamanian ...

. After posting a 4.26 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 26 appearances for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

, the Orioles selected Abad's contract on August 15, 2021.

Saraperos de Saltillo

On March 23, 2022, Abad signed with the

Saraperos de Saltillo The Saraperos de Saltillo (English: Saltillo Serape Wearers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. Their home ballpark is the Estadio de Béisbol Francisco I. Madero in Saltillo, Coahuila. They have won three championships (198 ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

Seattle Mariners

On May 4, 2022, Abad signed a minor league deal with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

Pitching style

Abad features a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...

(94–97 mph), a sinker (92–95 mph), a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

(78–83 mph), and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

(75–79 mph). He tends to use the sinker and changeup more against right-handed hitters, and his four-seamer and curveball more against left-handed hitters. He also occasionally throws an

eephus pitch An eephus pitch (also spelled ephus) in baseball is a very high-arcing off-speed pitch. The delivery from the pitcher has very low velocity and often catches the hitter off-guard. The eephus pitch is thrown overhand like most pitches, but is char ...

, around 55 mph.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abad, Fernando 1985 births Living people Azucareros del Este players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Boston Red Sox players Corpus Christi Hooks players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic sportspeople in doping cases Dominican Summer League Astros players Greeneville Astros players Gulf Coast Astros players Houston Astros players Lancaster JetHawks players Lexington Legends players Long Island Ducks players Minnesota Twins players Oakland Athletics players Oklahoma City RedHawks players People from La Romana, Dominican Republic Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Navegantes del Magallanes players Norfolk Tides players Richmond Flying Squirrels players Round Rock Express players Sacramento River Cats players San Francisco Giants players Syracuse Chiefs players Tacoma Rainiers players Toros del Este players Tri-City ValleyCats players Washington Nationals players World Baseball Classic players of the Dominican Republic 2017 World Baseball Classic players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Venezuela