Hand is planning to introduce a cutter to his arsenal this season, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.
Hand signed with the Rockies on Saturday and should immediately fill a high-leverage role out of the bullpen. He's relied on a combination of his fastball and slider for the last several seasons, though he's now prepared to add a third pitch to that mix. Hand reportedly worked on the cutter in bullpen sessions during the 2022 campaign, but he did not throw any in game action.
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Rockies' Brad Hand: Lands with Rockies
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The Rockies signed Hand to a one-year, $2 million contract Saturday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Hand, coming off a 45-inning, 2.80-ERA campaign with the Phillies, finally has a home for the 2023 season. The Rockies don't project to win many games, but the left-hander could have some opportunities for holds and/or saves. It's unclear how built-up Hand is, or whether he'll be ready for Opening Day. The contract includes a $7 million club option for 2024.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Ready for playoffs
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Hand (elbow) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday and is on the Phillies' roster for the NL Wild Card Series against the Cardinals, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The veteran left-hander landed on the shelf with elbow tendinitis Sept. 22, but he's back with the team for the wild-card round. Hand finished the regular season with 13 holds, five saves and a 2.80 ERA over 45 innings.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Aiming for playoffs return
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Hand (elbow) thew a 25-pitch bullpen session Monday and is scheduled to face live hitters Wednesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
It is beginning to look more and more like Hand will rejoin the Phillies for their wild-card series, assuming they maintain their position in the standings. Hand hasn't pitched since Sept. 20, when he gave up three earned runs over just one-third of an inning against Toronto.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Out with elbow issue
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Hand was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sept. 22, with left elbow tendinitis.
Hand hasn't pitched since he surrendered four runs (three earned) over one-third of an inning Sept. 20 versus Toronto, and he'll now be unavailable for the next couple weeks. The veteran left-hander will miss the rest of the regular season but will be eligible to return early in the playoffs, should the Phillies qualify.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Earns fifth save
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Hand struck out one in a perfect inning and earned a save over the Pirates on Friday.
After giving up two runs and blowing a save in his last outing, Hand bounced back to pick up his first save since July 8. He lowered his ERA to 1.86 alongside a 32:20 K:BB through 47 appearances this season. Hand has been tagged with just one earned run over his last 12.2 frames.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Blows save, wins
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Hand (3-1) picked up the victory Tuesday after blowing the save, allowing two unearned runs on two hits while striking out one in the ninth inning of a 7-6 win over Cincinnati.
After Hand retired the first batter of the ninth, Nick Senzel reached after Edmundo Sosa committed a throwing error. Hand then allowed a single and retired a batter before TJ Friedl tripled home both runners to give Cincinnati the lead. It was Hand's first save opportunity since July 8. He's given up just one earned run in his last 11.2 innings but has a concerning 6:7 K:BB in that span. David Robertson and Seranthony Dominguez (triceps) have received the most save chances since the trade deadline, but Hand and Andrew Bellatti have also been given an opportunity.
Hand allowed a hit and no walks while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning during Sunday's loss to the Mets.
Hand picked up a save July 8 and recorded a hold July 15 but has been used mainly in lower-leverage situations recently. He also got increased competition for closing duties since the Phillies acquired David Robertson ahead of the trade deadline. Although Hand hasn't been used in save situations recently, he's been effective since the All-Star break, posting a 1.59 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 5.2 innings over six appearances to begin the second half of the year.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Picks up fourth save
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Hand pitched a perfect ninth innings with no strikeouts to earn the save in a 2-0 win over the Cardinals on Friday.
Hand only needed eight pitches to retire the side and earn his fourth save of the campaign. The 32-year-old veteran arm has now tallied three saves since Corey Knebel was pulled out of the closer role due to control issues in mid-June. Hand finds himself in a closer committee with Seranthony Dominguez, who earned the save in Thursday's game.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Nails down third save
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Hand struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his third save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Cardinals.
Seranthony Dominguez worked the eighth inning against the heart of the St. Louis order, while Hand got the ninth against the Cards' 7-8-9 hitters. Since Corey Knebel was removed from the closer role in mid-June, Hand and Dominguez have two saves each, and they'll likely continue to share the job as long as both of them remain effective.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Secures second save
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Hand picked up his second save of the year in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Nationals, striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning while allowing one hit and one walk.
The Phillies announced their intention to drop Corey Knebel from the closer role in favor of a committee Wednesday, and it's Hand who got the first opportunity in the new arrangement. Despite his 1.86 ERA, he's been outpitched by Seranthony Dominguez this year judging by the pair's underlying numbers, but Hand nevertheless got the ninth inning here while Dominguez got the eighth. It's worth noting that Dominguez faced the heart of the order while Hand came in to handle the Nats' 7-8-9 hitters, so their respective usage in this game doesn't guarantee that it will be Hand who gets the next save chance. The veteran lefty was also somewhat shaky Friday, allowing the tying run to reach base with one out before shutting the door on the 5-3 win.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Part of closer committee
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Hand is expected to be part of a closer committee for the foreseeable future after interim manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday that Corey Knebel has been removed from the ninth-inning role, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
The closing change comes after Knebel blew his fourth save of the season in Tuesday's 11-9 loss to the Marlins while walking two batters and allowing three unearned runs. Thomson didn't explicitly say which relievers would be part of the closing committee while Knebel is used in lower-leverage spots, but Hand and Seranthony Dominguez look to be the top two candidates to pick up saves. Hand, who has nabbed only one save in 2022 but recorded no fewer than 16 saves in any of the past five seasons, has been dependable in a setup role thus far for Philadelphia, accruing a 1.96 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 20:10 K:BB in 18.1 innings.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Notches save against Mets
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Hand picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 5-4 win over the Mets, striking out two batters in a perfect ninth inning.
The veteran southpaw was called in to face the team he ended his 2021 campaign with after a five-run rally by the Phillies in the bottom of the eighth, and Hand got the job done in style. Corey Knebel (illness) wasn't available Monday, but he isn't expected to be sidelined for long, so Hand's window for save chances is likely a short one. He appears to Joe Girardi's top option behind Knebel, however, not a surprising development considering Hand's 127 career saves.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Velocity down in spring games
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Hand has sat around 90 to 91 mph with his fastball this spring, below his average of 93 mph last season, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
It's possible this is nothing to worry about, as pitchers are frequently below their usual velocity numbers in spring, due either to their lack of adrenaline in exhibition contests or to the fact that they're still building up to full strength. This year's shortened spring training could make that an even more common problem. Still, the Phillies would certainly prefer to see Hand at his usual velocity as soon as possible. His chances of overtaking Corey Knebel on the closer depth chart would take a hit if he's unable to get back to the 93 mph range.
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Phillies' Brad Hand: Reaches deal with Phils
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Hand agreed Monday with the Phillies on a one-year, $6 million contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
One of the top lefty relievers who was available on the open market, Hand ultimately landed with the fourth different NL East team of his career after stops with the Marlins, Mets and Nationals. With 121 career saves on his ledger, Hand immediately becomes the most accomplished reliever in the bullpen, but because he'll be making $4 million less than fellow free-agent pickup Corey Knebel, the former could be second in line for saves. Phillies manager Joe Girardi could also choose to use the two relievers as part of a loose closer committee, with the southpaw Hand and right-handed Knebel both representing appealing options against opposite-handed hitters. While the transaction makes handicapping the Phillies' closer situation a more difficult endeavor, the offseason additions of Hand and Knebel (and longtime Mets setup man Jeurys Familia) undoubtedly strengthen the bullpen, which has been a major trouble spot for the team in recent years.
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Mets' Brad Hand: Picks up hold in Mets debut
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Hand gave up two hits in a scoreless two-thirds of an inning to record his first hold of the season during an 11-9 win over the Nationals in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Facing the team he started the year with, Hand wasn't exactly effective when he relieved Miguel Castro in the sixth inning and allowed two inherited runners to score, but he was able to coax an inning-ending double play out of Ryan Zimmerman before he took any damage to his own ERA. Including his brief stint with the Blue Jays between his Nats and Mets tenures, Hand has an 8.40 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 11:9 K:BB through 15 innings since the All-Star break, and he's unlikely to see much high-leverage work with New York.
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Mets' Brad Hand: Claimed by Mets
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Hand was claimed off waivers by the Mets on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Hand was acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade with the Nationals at the deadline but spent barely over a month with the team before being designated for assignment. The veteran lefty owns a mediocre 4.21 ERA on the season, including a 7.27 mark across 11 appearances after moving to Toronto, but he was very effective over the previous five seasons, posting a 2.70 ERA over that stretch. The current version of Hand shouldn't be pitching in high-leverage situations, but there's still potential here for him to serve as one of Edwin Diaz's top deputies if the Mets can get him back on track.
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Blue Jays' Brad Hand: Designated for assignment
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Hand was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Hand was eligible to return from the bereavement list, but the Blue Jays elected not to clear a spot for him on the active roster. It's quite the fall from grace for the veteran lefty, who has 126 saves to his name, including 21 this season. All of his saves this year came prior to being traded from Washington to Toronto. Following the move to the Blue Jays, Hand allowed 10 runs (seven earned) in 8.2 innings while striking out just five batters, though his past success would suggest he still has a good chance of being claimed off waivers.
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Blue Jays' Brad Hand: Headed to bereavement list
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Hand will placed on the bereavement list Friday, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
Hand's grandfather passed away, so he will be away from the team for between three and seven days. He's struggled to a 5.63 ERA and 1.63 WHIP across eight innings since being acquired by the Blue Jays.
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Blue Jays' Brad Hand: Makes mess in extra-inning loss
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Hand (5-6) allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and struck out one in one inning, taking the loss Monday versus Cleveland.
The southpaw has now allowed four runs (two earned) in two innings since he was traded from Washington to Toronto at the trade deadline. Hand hasn't worked very effectively since the start of July, yielding 12 runs (nine earned) in his last 10 innings. Overall, he has a 3.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 43:18 K:BB through 44.2 innings overall. It's unclear if he can right the ship well enough to earn a late-inning role with his new team.
