BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today acquired left-handed relief pitcher Fernando Abad from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Pat Light.
President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski made the announcement.
Abad, 30, has made 39 relief appearances with the Twins this season, going 1-4 with a 2.65 ERA (10 ER/34.0 IP) and .220 opponent batting average, including a .269 average on balls in play. He has allowed only two home runs (0.53 HR/9.0 IP) and eight extra-base hits, holding opposing hitters to a .317 slugging percentage. Abad has held left-handed batters to a .458 OPS, the fifth-lowest mark among American League relievers who have faced at least 50 lefties.
Originally signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent in 2002, Abad is 6-24 with one save and a 3.58 ERA (104 ER/261.1 IP) in 297 major league appearances (six starts) between the Astros (2010-12), Washington Nationals (2013), Oakland A's (2014-15), and Twins (2016). Since the start of 2013, the Dominican Republic native has posted a 2.85 ERA (56 ER/176.2 IP) and .227 opponent batting average in 209 appearances, all in relief.
Light, 25, made his major league debut this season, making two relief appearances in a pair of big league stints and allowing eight runs (seven earned) over 2.2 innings. The right-handed reliever has spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Pawtucket, going 1-1 with a 2.32 ERA (8 ER/31.0 IP) and 36 strikeouts while converting each of seven save opportunities. In five professional seasons since being selected in the supplemental round of the 2012 June Draft, Light has gone 13-18 with 12 saves, a 4.40 ERA (142 ER/290.2 IP), and 240 strikeouts in 122 games (including 49 starts).