Cleveland Indians trading for Brad Hand is about the present and future
With a solid lead in the American League Central already, the Cleveland Indians have now addressed their No.1 flaw.
If not for having one of the worst bullpens in baseball, who knows how much the Cleveland Indians would be leading the dismal American League Central by. As it is it’s a 7.5-game lead, and according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Robert Murray the Indians have acquired closer Brad Hand from the San Diego Padres.
The Indians will be sending top catcher prospect Francisco Mejia to San Diego, which is a pretty big price to pay. But Hand has been one of the top relievers around, with a 2.47 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, a 12.3 K/9 and 45 saves since the start of the 2017 season. He’s also more than a rental, with two more years left on his contract ($6.5 million in 2019, $7 million in 2020) and a $10 million club option ($1 million buyout) for 2021. As Cody Allen and Andrew Miller approach free agency after the season, Hand could have the closer gig for Cleveland all to himself next season.
The Indians will also get reliever Adam Cimber from the Padres in the deal. In his first big league season, he has a 3.17 ERA with nice peripherals (9.5 K.9, 1.9 BB/9) over 42 appearances (48.1 innings).
Allen has 20 saves in 21 opportunities at the All-Star break. But he also has a 4.66 ERA, supported by a 4.28 FIP, a drop in K/9 rate (10.9) and an uptick in BB/9 rate (3.7) compared to 2017 (12.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9).
Brad Hand to #Indians, sources tell me and @ByRobertMurray.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
Catcher Francisco Mejia headed to #Padres, sources tell me and @ByRobertMurray.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
Hand and Cimber are massive gets for #Indians, reshaping their entire bullpen. Mejia, heading to #Padres, is one of the top catching prospects in the game.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2018
Miller was Cleveland’s big bullpen acquisition in 2016, with a similar high cost that included prospects Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield going to the Yankees, and he helped deliver an AL pennant. He has not been very good this year (4.40 ERA, 6.3 BB/9), when he’s been available (just 17 appearances), but Miller is on track to return from a knee injury pretty quickly coming out of the All-Star break.
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The Indians appear to have dodged a bullet with the right knee issue that took ace Corey Kluber out of the All-Star game, and they have plenty of offense. Barring an incredible rash of key injuries, the Indians have unofficially locked up a division title by adding two bullpen reinforcements.