Rockies release former SF Giants reliever, 11-season MLB veteran

The Colorado Rockies released 11-year big-league veteran Fernando Abad, a left-handed reliever who pitched for the SF Giants back in 2019.

Marc Delucchi | May 28, 2023

Rockies release former SF Giants reliever, 11-season MLB veteran /

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The Colorado Rockies released left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad on Wednesday, making the 11-year MLB veteran a free agent. Abad was excellent this season with the Rockies Triple-A affiliate but allowed three earned runs across 2.2 innings (three appearances) in the majors. He has played with 12 different MLB organizations over his long career, including a short stint with the SF Giants during the 2019 season.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Fernando Abad on the mound in the ninth inning during a spring training game against the SF Giants. (2023) — Rockies LHP Fernando Abad pitches against the SF Giants during spring training. (2023) / Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

Now 37, Abad has been playing professional baseball since he signed with the Houston Astros as a 20-year-old back in 2006. The southpaw climbed through the minors with Houston, making his big-league debut with the team in 2010. After three MLB seasons with the Astros, Abad was traded to the Oakland Athletics for a minor leaguer.

Abad was a solid middle reliever in Oakland for two seasons before hitting the open market and signing with the Minnesota Twins. A strong first half in Minnesota once again led Abad to be traded, this time to the Boston Red Sox, where he pitched for the next season and a half.

Injuries derailed Abad's 2018 season, forcing him to ink a minor-league deal with the Giants in 2019. Abad posted a 2.70 ERA in 41 Triple-A appearances with San Francisco before he was called up late in the season. He pitched in 21 games with the Giants, recording a 4.15 ERA with nine strikeouts and three walks in 13 innings pitched.

Abad did not pitch in an official game during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before a similar stint with the Orioles in 2021. He spent all of last season with the Seattle Mariners Triple-A affiliate. This year, before the Rockies called him up, Abad struck out 20 in 16 innings pitched with two walks and a 1.69 ERA at Triple-A.

Fernando Abad has had an impressive MLB career. Even at 37, the lefty has continued to dominate the upper minors this season despite his struggles in a brief appearance with the Rockies. Now, we'll see where the former SF Giants reliever lands next.

Published May 28, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).