Free Agent Hot Stove: Brad Hand
This offseason will feature a lot of quality free agent relievers. Closers Liam Hendricks and Brad Hand are atop the list of the best free agent relievers. Over his 10-year career. Hand has proven to be a great reliever early in his career, and an elite closer since 2017. He recently hit the free agent marker, and he should garner a ton of offers by clubs that need a late-inning reliever, or closer. However, he will be 31 years old before the 2021 regular season starts, so will this effect his value?
In the 2020 regular season, he was terrific. He had a 2.05 ERA, and led the league with 16 saves. Though he had this great season, the Indians refused to pick up his 1 year/$10 million dollar option for 2021. This means that he is on waivers, and any team that picks him up will be stuck with said contract. Many people were surprised the Indians did not pick up Hand’s option, but it is really no surprise in a deeper look. The Indians also declined Carlos Santana and Domingo Santana’s options, so it is clear they are trying to free up some payroll. Also, Hand’s history of catastrophic Postseason performances could have been the main contributor to the Indians’ decision to decline his option. In one appearance in the AL Wild Card Game this year, he let up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. This is good for a 27.00 ERA, which is clearly terrible. In two appearances in the 2018 ALDS, he had a 10.80 ERA, which is also awful. It is clear that the Indians did not feel that his salary was worth his production in the Postseason.
Even though he has been bad in the Postseason, a lot of clubs will take the risk on him. He has been great as a closer for the past few seasons, so he could clearly lead a team to the Postseason. Plus, three Postseason appearances is a very small sample size, especially as a reliever. I believe the two main teams that will be most likely to pick up Hand’s option are the Washington Nationals, and the Los Angeles Angels. I believe that both of these teams are almost even in the Hand sweepstakes, with the Nationals having the edge. The Nationals had a horrendous 2020, coming off their underdog 2019 World Series Champion season. Their biggest woes were seen in the bullpen. Their closer Sean Doolittle, who is now a free agent, had a horrendous season, and their pitching staff as a whole had a 5.09 ERA. They greatly need a closer due to Doolittle’s departure, and Hand would be a viable option. He is already connected to Washington in early offseason rumors, so the chances of him landing there are the highest over any other team.
The other main player is the Angels. They have the offensive pieces in Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Shohei Ohtani to make a splash in 2021, but their bullpen is the biggest question mark. Hansel Robles had a terrific 2019 season, but was awful in is 2020 chances. Hand could provide stability in the closer’s role, as he is a veteran, with ample success in that role. Mike Trout is also widely considered to be the best player on the planet, but he has not had the team around him to have a chance to go deep in the Postseason. Signing star third baseman Anthony Rendon long term after the 2019 season was a great start, but they need to do more to support Trout. Though the Angels do need a closer, I put them behind the Nats in the Hand sweepstakes, as they need a top level starter to bolster their rotation behind Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney. Brad Hand is a truly interesting case, as he does carry a heavy contract going into the 2021 season, but I believe the Nationals, Angels, and possibly the Philadelphia Phillies will be the three main contenders to pick up his option.