Houston Astros’ impressed by the performance of Fernando Abad
It looks like the Houston Astros have been thoroughly impressed by their left hand pitcher Fernando Abad. He is performing at a tremendous level and the Astros are taking notice of their dynamic pitcher as the spring workout session is starting.
Abad is an immensely talented player who has the numbers to support his performance. During the 2010 season he had a 2.84 ERA, which is decent for a new pitcher just starting out in the big league. The Astros are looking at Abad as a potential star for them,
as he is a consistent pitcher with a good competitive spirit.
With Spring Training about the start, the Astros will be watching Abad in the bullpen sessions and on the mound as he takes on some of the top tier teams in the league. The Astros understand the importance of Spring Training as the perfect opportunity to
finalise the rotation and the all important line-up. Also, many of the younger players will get some valuable and much needed game time against top quality teams before the regular season begins.
Astros’ general manager Ed Wade was also very impressed by the performance of Abad and is hoping that he can repeat his good performance from last year for team. Wade said, “It's a nice position to be in at this point, to have a guy who has a chance to come
in and compete and fill a number of different roles.”
Abad also had a terrific performance in the Dominican League with an ERA of 2.38 and a 3-0 record. He also managed to strike-out 37 in 34 innings. These figures are quite impressive and are basically the type of numbers that the Astros really want to see
from their young pitcher.
However, competition for a bullpen position is tight. Many issues have to be put in play before the team decides to give Abad a place in the rotation.
Wade said, "He's had an excellent winter ball. I hate to take potential starters and move them to the bullpen prematurely, but at the same time he really factors into a number of different ways for us.”
There is no doubt that Abad does have what it takes to be a big league pitcher. However, the Astros may be impressed, but they will be looking at the long term implications of putting such a young pitcher in the bullpen to soon.
Most experts feel that the Astros will be hoping that Abad gives them a tremendous performance during Spring Training so that they can easily make a decision on his future with the team. Only time will tell if Abad is included in the final rotation before
the regular season begins.
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