Mets Claim Brad Hand Off Of Waivers From Blue Jays

The Blue Jays acquired lefty Brad Hand from the Nationals at the trade deadline, hoping he could strengthen their bullpen. He’s done anything but that.

Hand has gone 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA in 11 games with Toronto, and as a result, he was designated for assignment before Tuesday’s game in Baltimore.

But his season isn’t over. The New York Mets had other plans.

In the wake of the “thumbs down” controversy and the recent arrest of General Manager Zack Scott, the Mets have found a positive. Today, they claimed Hand off waivers.

With all of the injuries the Mets have dealt with all year, Hand may help provide them a little stability. He certainly provides a solid left-handed option out of the ‘pen, along with Aaron Loup. He could close games if Edwin Diaz is unavailable, or could slide into the setup role, creating a solid big three in the back end of that pen with Jeurys Familia having a solid season.

Hand is 5-7 with a 4.21 ERA on the year. An ERA over 4 is far from desirable for a reliever. 

Though these stats might make this move a bit of a head scratcher, he had a 3.79 ERA with 21 saves while he was with Washington. Just a couple good outings can get in back under 4.

New York has taken a nosedive since Jacob DeGrom went down, though they have won three straight games and are still just five games out of first in the East. This move could help settle things down and get the Mets back on the right track.

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