The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a one-year, $2MM take care of reliever Brad Hand, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reviews (by way of
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hyperlinks). The assured cash breaks down as a $1.5MM wage in 2023, after which a $500K buyout of a $7MM membership possibility the Rockies maintain on Hand’s companies for the 2024 season. One other $1MM bonus is on the market for Hand if he’s nonetheless within the group by Opening Day, with Rosenthal noting which means both on the energetic roster or on the injured listing. Hand turns 33 later this month, and he’s represented by the Wasserman Company.
As soon as Hand seems in an official recreation within the purple pinstripes, it would mark 13 MLB seasons and eight completely different groups for the veteran southpaw. Hand inked a one-year, $6MM with the Phillies final winter and contributed to the Phils’ push to the NL pennant, delivering a 2.80 ERA over 45 regular-season innings after which a 4.76 ERA in 5 2/3 postseason frames. That small pattern dimension of playoff work was maybe extra reflective of Hand’s general high quality in 2022, as he had a 4.51 SIERA and 4.90 xFIP, and his .297 wOBA was effectively underneath his .323 xwOBA. Hand did an excellent job of limiting laborious contact final yr, however with subpar strikeout and stroll charges.
All issues thought of, Hand’s 2022 superior metrics weren’t far eliminated—or in some instances have been worse—than his 2021 metrics, although he had much more luck with that 2.80 ERA versus his 3.90 mark with the Washington Nationals, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. (MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald not too long ago took a deeper dive into Hand’s 2022 efficiency.) Hand was additionally rather a lot higher at preserving the ball within the park with the Phillies—he allowed solely two homers in his 45 frames final yr, after giving up 9 lengthy balls over 64 2/3 innings in 2021.
The comfortable contact and talent to maintain the ball within the park is of course of curiosity for a crew that performs in Coors Area, and the Rockies ended up buying Hand after a comparatively quiet offseason by way of publicly-known curiosity. The Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins have been each linked to Hand over the past month, although generally, the marketplace for left-handed aid pitching was largely fairly sluggish after an preliminary flurry previous to Christmas. Solely in latest weeks has the ice began to thaw, as names like Andrew Chafin, Matt Moore, and (simply earlier in the present day) Will Smith have now come off the board.
Talking of quiet offseasons, the Rockies haven’t carried out an entire lot of word this winter, a lot to the consternation of followers who noticed the membership lose 94 video games in 2022. Colorado has carried out a good quantity of labor within the bullpen, at the least, as Hand joins names corresponding to Pierce Johnson, Nick Mears, and fellow left-handers Brent Suter and Ty Blach and Fernando Abad. Since Blach and Abad have been minor league signings, Hand’s deal would possibly push one or each of these different lefties out of consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The membership possibility additionally provides Colorado some management over Hand’s future if he does absolutely regain his previous kind. Hand was one of many higher relievers within the sport when pitching with San Diego and Cleveland from 2016-20, and naturally, the Rockies noticed him typically again in his Padres days. Since Johnson, Suter, and Dinelson Lamet are all slated without spending a dime company after the 2023 season, the Rockies may hold at the least one pitcher within the fold by exercising Hand’s possibility, if he pitches effectively sufficient to make that $6.5MM resolution a clever one for the Rox.
