Brad Hand, anyone?

[HowAboutThat]

So the Blue Jays just dumped brad hand. I haven’t checked the stats, although he’s been pretty terrible recently, are we the least bit interested? We picked up Shaun Anderson, and Hand at least has a pedigree.

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

You clearly don’t watch any Nationals games. Plus he would clog up a 40 man slot this off-season and make too much money. Zero chance he ends up here.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Hand's K/9 rate is down substantially this year. I don't know if it's wear and tear or he's hurt. Going to be 32 years old next year too, I'm inclined to pass on him. 

[HowAboutThat]

I’m inclined to pass on him too, but he does have a Pedigree, his velocity is up this year over last year, although his swing strike rate is down. He could be signed for the prorated major league minimum after he clears waivers, and you gotta live the Nats paying him a couple million bucks to play across town.

And I’d rather have him than Shaun Anderson or Plutko or many another arm that has called OPACY home for a day or so. I’m not hoping for it, just mentioning it as a possibility. Just a thought.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

7 minutes ago, Philip said:

I’m inclined to pass on him too, but he does have a Pedigree, his velocity is up this year over last year, although his swing strike rate is down. He could be signed for the prorated major league minimum after he clears waivers, and you gotta live the Nats paying him a couple million bucks to play across town.

And I’d rather have him than Shaun Anderson or Plutko or many another arm that has called OPACY home for a day or so. I’m not hoping for it, just mentioning it as a possibility. Just a thought.

The awfulness of the bullpen is why I'd consider Hand even if he's likely to be a stopgap for a year or two. If you could get him on the cheap with an incentive laden contract it might be worth a play.

I think it's likely Hand gets more money and an offer from a better team. 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

Hard pass. He wasn’t with the Blue Jays for a month. On the decline right now. I’d rather they give someone else a try from the farm that they can ship off after if need be than bring in Hand.

[sevastras]

Why not? If he is released and he is just getting the league minimum and the BJs are paying the difference. Not sure his contract status and don’t feel like looking it up right now. Not like there are other relievers that should be getting more innings. 

[Aristotelian]

Would not be opposed. 

[Ruzious]

I'd rather bring up guys like Kevin Smith and Dean Kremer for the rest of the season and use them in bullpen roles.  Both have high SO rates, and we should be seeing what they can do in the majors.  Salvage what's been an awful year for Kremer, and be honest that Smith's future is as a reliever.   

[SteveA]

14 hours ago, Philip said:

So the Blue Jays just dumped brad hand. I haven’t checked the stats, although he’s been pretty terrible recently, are we the least bit interested? We picked up Shaun Anderson, and Hand at least has a pedigree.

He started the year with 9 straight scoreless appearances.   Since then he has been pretty bad.

If he had had this season with the Orioles, you would be talking about how you've seen enough of him and it's time to dump him and replace him with anybody. 

[HowAboutThat]

6 minutes ago, SteveA said:

He started the year with 9 straight scoreless appearances.   Since then he has been pretty bad.

If he had had this season with the Orioles, you would be talking about how you've seen enough of him and it's time to dump him and replace him with anybody. 

Maybe that’s correct, maybe not. Remind me how many guys we had start the season with nine straight scoreless appearances? Plutko started well, But I didn’t want to keep him. I don’t remember whether Tate had a good stretch, I think Armstrong did, and frankly, I would’ve been willing to keep him, even though I didn’t protest when he was dumped. 
Someone with a valid past is always worth taking a flyer on, as we did with Harvey and Felix. I had no problem with Harvey, and I thought-correctly- that Felix was toast but it was a minor league contract so why not. Hand can be had for prorated minimum Which by now is only a couple hundred thousand dollars, so there’s no reason not to bring him on board and see if we can do something with him. I am a firm believer in “change of scenery” And if he’s terrible, well what have we lost? That’s exactly the logic that has brought almost everybody else on board lately, anyway, no need to change it now. If we don’t I won’t complain, even if he turns into something good for somebody else, it’s just a thought.

what are yours?

[SteveA]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

Maybe that’s correct, maybe not. Remind me how many guys we had start the season with nine straight scoreless appearances? Plutko started well, But I didn’t want to keep him. I don’t remember whether Tate had a good stretch, I think Armstrong did, and frankly, I would’ve been willing to keep him, even though I didn’t protest when he was dumped. 
Someone with a valid past is always worth taking a flyer on, as we did with Harvey and Felix. I had no problem with Harvey, and I thought-correctly- that Felix was toast but it was a minor league contract so why not. Hand can be had for prorated minimum Which by now is only a couple hundred thousand dollars, so there’s no reason not to bring him on board and see if we can do something with him. I am a firm believer in “change of scenery” And if he’s terrible, well what have we lost? That’s exactly the logic that has brought almost everybody else on board lately, anyway, no need to change it now. If we don’t I won’t complain, even if he turns into something good for somebody else, it’s just a thought.

what are yours?

Fry started great.

Hand -- we could get him for the minimum the rest of the year with Toronto paying him.   But if he does well, he will be a free agent in the offseason and will cost veteran free agent money to sign, and I don't think he would be worth it.

[ChrisP]

3 hours ago, Ruzious said:

I'd rather bring up guys like Kevin Smith and Dean Kremer for the rest of the season and use them in bullpen roles.  Both have high SO rates, and we should be seeing what they can do in the majors.  Salvage what's been an awful year for Kremer, and be honest that Smith's future is as a reliever.   

Excellent idea.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

13 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Would not be opposed. 

[HowAboutThat]

1 hour ago, SteveA said:

Fry started great.

Hand -- we could get him for the minimum the rest of the year with Toronto paying him.   But if he does well, he will be a free agent in the offseason and will cost veteran free agent money to sign, and I don't think he would be worth it.

I agree that we shouldn’t pay them free agent prices, however remember Nate McLouth, we picked him up off the waiver wire, in 2012, he  finish out the year for us and was fabulous, Couldn’t get a big free agent deal in the off-season came to us on a one-year contract, and he was excellent for us again. The Nats sign him for two years in $10 million and he immediately fell off a cliff.

No way would hand cost as much as McLouth did, But of course we wouldn’t be the least bit interested in signing him for anything but a pittance anyway. However down below the comment was made that they would rather bring up some of our own Pitching, and I’m inclined to agree with that. Again, I have no horse in this race, and I don’t care one way or the other, I just mention him because he is a formerly very successful reliever, and I thought it might be a possibility.