Rockies release former Giants reliever, 11-year MLB veteran

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.