CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Phillies addressed their lack of lefthanded relief pitching on Saturday morning by adding veteran Fernando Abad to spring training on a minor-league deal.
Abad, 32, had a 3.30 ERA last season in 48 games with Boston. He struck out 37 batters and walked 14 in 43.2 innings. He relies heavily on his fastball, which has seen a slight decrease in velocity over the last four seasons.
The Phillies plan to start the season with an eight-man bullpen but opened camp with just four lefthanded options: Zac Curtis, Adam Morgan, Hoby Milner, and Brandon Leibrandt.