Mets Rumors: Brad Hand Agrees to Contract After Blue Jays Release

The New York Mets will reportedly add relief pitcher Brad Hand, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

This will be the third team of the season for Hand, who was previously with the Toronto Blue Jays before they designated him for assignment on Tuesday.

Toronto acquired the pitcher in a July trade with the Washington Nationals in exchange for catcher Riley Adams. 

Hand had been effective with the Nationals, producing a 3.59 ERA with 21 saves in 41 appearances. He struggled once he arrived in Toronto, totaling a 7.27 ERA in 11 games. 

The left-hander allowed multiple earned runs in three different appearances, including two runs allowed in his final showing against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 26. He had just five strikeouts during his 8.2 innings with the Blue Jays.

New York will look for a return to form from 31-year-old, who had been one of the top relievers in baseball in recent years. 

Hand had a 2.61 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings across 2017-20 with San Diego and Cleveland. It led to three All-Star selections while tallying 103 saves in this stretch.

The veteran was at his best in 2020, finishing with a league-high 16 saves during the shortened season while finishing with a 2.05 ERA.

That kind of production could help the Mets solidify the bullpen ahead of Edwin Diaz, especially with Jeurys Familia struggling over the past month. New York remains in contention at 65-67, five games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East, but the squad will need more consistency from its pitching staff down the stretch.