The Boston Red Sox reportedly acquired left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Pat Light on Monday, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball was the first to report the news, noting the deal is “pending medicals.”
Abad, 30, is 1-4 this season with a 2.65 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 34.0 innings pitched. He also has six holds and a save and has held left-handed hitters to a .163 average this season.
Light, 25, has gone 1-1 with a 2.32 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and seven saves in 31.0 innings pitched at Triple-A Pawtucket this year. He also has a fastball that has hit 100 mph in the past, per Berardino. He isn’t a top prospect but is ranked highly within Boston’s farm system:
Abad, meanwhile, will add much-needed depth to a bullpen that has seen both Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara miss significant time this season, though Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald thinks the team should continue bolstering the roster:
With Kimbrel returning but Uehara still out of action, Abad will likely play a major role in the seventh and eighth innings for Boston alongside Junichi Tazawa. Either pitcher may be utilized as the setup man depending on the opposing team’s lineup.
If nothing else, Abad gives the Red Sox a specialist against left-handed hitters, as he’s been superb in that capacity in 2016. With the team mired in a battle for the postseason, Abad was a much-needed addition to a bullpen that has battled through a number of injuries to key players this season.
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