Brad Hand unexpectedly joined the group of free-agent relief pitchers this offseason when the Cleveland Indians declined his $10 million option for 2021 and placed the left-hander on waivers.
Hand then went unclaimed, with teams exercising extreme financial restraint, and he became a free agent. The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly had interest in the 30-year-old as a potential option to replace Blake Treinen.
L.A. went on to re-sign Treinen, but still were among the teams connected to Hand. He recently was said to be nearing an agreement with the New York Mets but that never came to fruition.
Hand instead signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals, ironically receiving more of a salary than he would have if claimed off waivers, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network:
Hand gets $10.5M on the 1-year deal with Nats. Interestingly, every team passed on him on waivers at $10M. @JeffPassan 1st on $
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 25, 2021
Hand once was viewed as a top relief pitcher, but endured a bit of a rough 2019 season. He bounced back last year to lead the Majors with 16 saves, while also pitching to a 2.05 ERA and 22-to-4 strikeout to walk ratio.
The left-hander’s fastball velocity has diminished but his secondary offerings are still of quality.
The Dodgers previously were linked to hand at the 2019 trade deadline and when he was still a member of the San Diego Padres in 2017.
Dodgers still searching for bullpen piece
It’s unclear how involved the Dodgers remained in the final bidding for Hand, but every indication has been the team is still searching for another relief pitcher. L.A. has been connected to Jeremy Jeffress along with Kirby Yates, though he joined the Toronto Blue Jays.
In addition to re-signing Treinen, they brought back Jimmy Nelson, Brandon Morrow and Brock Stewart, signed Tommy Kahnle and traded for Corey Knebel.
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