Brad Hand

Hand began the season as the Nationals closer, alternating good and bad months through the trade deadline. At the time, he was sporting a 3.59 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 21 saves. Washington shipped Hand to the Blue Jays where he was supposed to fortify a depleted bullpen, perhaps even in a closing capacity. However, Hand struggled with Toronto, posting a 7.27 ERA and 1.85 WHIP before he was released in late August. The Mets claimed him where Hand rebounded to record a 2.70 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. For the season, his 21.9% strikeout rate was its lowest since 2015 while Hand's 9.4% walk rate was its highest since 2016. Still just 32-years-old, Hand will likely get a job, but the chances of closing are slim.

The veteran left-hander had a 2.05 ERA and 0.77 WHIP with a league-leading 16 saves during the shortened season, but Cleveland declined his $10 million club option for 2021, making him a free agent. One man gathers what another man spills, as Washington swooped in with a one-year, $10.5 million deal. Hand posted a 2.78 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while going 58-for-65 in save chances after joining Cleveland, and he should be the Nationals' unquestioned closer in 2021. The southpaw had a 35.4 K% and 6.7 BB% while continuing to use the slider as his primary pitch over the past two seasons. Given the lack of locked-in, established closers around the league, a draft-day premium will placed on guys like Hand who are set it and forget closers as long as they are healthy.

Hand was electric for most of 2019 but really faded down the stretch. He had 27 saves and a 33 K-BB% while holding hitters to a .204 average through the end of July, but limped to the finish line with seven saves over the final two months, with a 13 K-BB% and a .345 BAA. Hand pitched in only three games in September and had a clean MRI in the middle of the month. It could have been just a tired arm from his usage, but the final two months were very concerning for a guy who looked like a lock for 40 saves and a fourth consecutive season with 100-plus strikeouts. He used more fastballs than sliders down the stretch, which may have been related to the arm issues, as that is a sub-optimal approach for Hand. More sliders is a good thing for him as he does not have enough fastball velocity to make it his primary pitch. Watch closely in spring training to see if the offseason has given his arm the rest it needed.

Hand began the season as the Padres' closer, posting a tidy 3.05 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 24 saves before the All-Star break. He was then traded to Cleveland where he shared ninth-inning duties until mid-September when he became the Tribe's primary option. After posting a 2.33 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with eight saves and six holds for the Indians, Hand is ticketed to enter 2019 as the club's closer. The southpaw handles RHB better than most right-handed closers while dominating LHB as evidenced by a .661 OPS facing RHB and a .505 OPS versus LHB since 2016. If Hand has a flaw, it's his 9.3% walk rate along with a high 15.0% HR/FB the past two seasons. However, when you fan over 30% of batters faced, you can get away with a couple more walks and homers. The Indians profile as a team that should afford an above-average number of chances and Hand has no real competition for the job.

Hand grabbed control of the Padres’ closer role in July, culminating his journey from failed starter in the Marlins' organization to certified relief ace. He's enjoyed a velocity bump while working in shorter spurts, and the strikeouts have ticked up as well; the left-hander ranked 14th among relievers with an 11.5 K/9. Hand’s walk rate improved from 3.6 BB/9 to 2.3 last season as well, as he learned to use his packed arsenal from his starting days to taunt hitters in smaller sample sizes. Unfortunately, the fact he’s enjoyed this success for the perpetually rebuilding Padres leaves him vulnerable to a sell-high trade that could demote him back to a setup gig. The skills are worth a lofty investment, but don’t pay for a full season of save opportunities.

Claimed off waivers from the Marlins in early April, Hand racked up a career-high 111 strikeouts over 82 relief appearances despite previous forays in Miami as a member of the starting rotation. It was somewhat surprising the Marlins decided he didn't fit in their own stable of relievers, especially since he had demonstrated excellent splits against lefties in 2015 while spitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Nevertheless, Hand emerged as one of the top relievers in the San Diego bullpen, fanning 30.5 percent of the batters he faced and holding the opposition to a .193 batting average. In terms of his arsenal, Hand moved further away from his curveball and changeup, and instead leaned on a fastball-slider combo, throwing the latter offering 30.3 percent of the time. The slider was particularly effective for Hand, and it's fair to suggest that he's become one of the top left-handed relievers in the game over the course of the past year.

Hand shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen all season for Miami in 2015. His inconsistency prevented him from seizing the opportunities to stick as a starter. The Marlins seem to believe in Hand despite his 9-25 overall record with the team since 2011, as he's been with the organization since they drafted him in 2008. If nothing else, he should be a useful left-handed option in relief, as his splits in that role (19.2-percent K rate, 6.6-percent walk rate, 2.80 FIP) are encouraging enough to continue earning him big league paychecks. As a LOOGY, Hand may be even better, as he's held left-handed hitters to a .227/.285/.329 line over his career with the Marlins.

Hand was impressive during spring training in 2014 and parlayed that performance into a long look as a starter during the season. Ultimately, however, Hand proved to be far too inconsistent to take the ball every fifth day for the Marlins and is likely headed towards a more permanent role in the Miami bullpen. While shuffling between roles --  16 starts and 16 relief appearances -- he posted a decent 4.38 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 111 innings pitched. Hand offers little in terms of strikeout upside and though he was more successful last season as a start than as a reliever, his ability to bear down on left-handed batters (3.21 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and .224 BAA) could find him deployed more frequently as a situational lefty during the coming season.

Hand earned a September call-up, after sporting a 3.21 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 17 minor league starts. He saved his best work for last, spinning 6.1 innings of two-run ball for the Marlins in his final outing of the season. Without a dominating arsenal of pitches, Hand simply must improve his control (47 walks in 89.2 minor league innings) to have success at the major league level. Though the Marlins will likely keep Hand stretched out as a starter to begin the year in 2014, his best path to time in Miami this season will likely be in the bullpen.

Hand spent the majority of his season at the Triple-A level, making just one start in the big leagues. Though he typically works in the low-90s with his fastball, Hand possesses solid strikeout ability (8.5 K/9 over 148.1 minor league innings). Still, the 23-year-old has failed to harness his control, posting a brutal 4.6 BB/9 in the minors in 2012 after he had similar control issues during a 12-start stint with the big club in 2011. Hand appears to have some work to do refining his control before Miami will give the former second-round pick another crack at the rotation.

Injuries to the big-league rotation, and a woeful lack of pitching depth in the Marlins system, forced the club to bring Hand up ahead of schedule and he posted predictably shaky numbers. His Double-A numbers don't really look like those of a top prospect either, as his strikeout rate took a steep drop, while his walk and home-run rates both rose. While he might enter spring training with a theoretical shot at a 25-man roster spot, expect Miami to keep him in the minors all of 2012.

Hand improved his control while maintaining his K/9IP rate as a 20-year-old at High-A, and as a result put himself firmly in the Marlins' future plans. He projects to have three solid pitches although none of them are exceptional, which makes him a mid-rotation starter at best in the majors, but given the way the organization's starting pitching depth has been gutted the last couple of seasons they'll take what they can get. Assuming he doesn't stumble against Double-A competition this year, Hand could get his first taste of the big leagues in 2012.