Brewers Sign Lefty Reliever Fernando Abad To Minors Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers have made an addition to their organization, signing veteran left handed reliever Fernando Abad to a minor league contract on Friday.

The deadline to have players in your organization that are postseason eligible is September 1st, so the Brewers brought Abad in in time that they could utilize him in the playoffs if they so choose. He doesn't have to be called up to the big leagues by then, though.

Abad's addition gives the Brewers another potential left handed reliever down the stretch.

The Milwaukee Brewers may not feel comfortable with some of their left handed relief options as they bring in another veteran in Fernando Abad on a minors deal.

Abad, 37, has been around the majors since 2010, breaking through with the Houston Astros. He's played in parts of 11 seasons but has struggled to stay in the big leagues in recent years. He's thrown just 37 total innings in the major leagues since the 2017 season.

This season, Abad was pitching with the Colorado Rockies and had a 4.26 ERA in 6.1 IP out of their bullpen before being released by Colorado earlier this month. He also spent time in Triple-A with the Rockies and had a 3.86 ERA in 30.1 IP. Abad will report to Triple-A Nashville.

While the Brewers may see Abad as a potential value addition late in the year. The 37 year old hasn't had much big league success in recent years and while they may see something good in him, this signing may also indicate how the Brewers feel about their current slate of lefties.

In order to add Abad to the active roster, they'd need to open a 40 man spot for him, and he could get a look when rosters expand to 28 on September 1st.

The reliable Hoby Milner has been used a lot this year, and the Brewers have struggled to find a second reliable lefty out in that bullpen. They added Andrew Chafin at the Trade Deadline and he has struggled since coming over. Former first round pick Ethan Small made one big league appearance this year and hasn't been back since. Clayton Andrews has been hit hard in his appearances, and Bennett Sousa wasn't an inspiring option either.

Abad hasn't been a reliable bullpen option since 2017. The Brewers aren't bringing him in to be one, but he provides some veteran insurance in case Andrew Chafin continues to struggle or an injury pops up and they need another lefty reliever.