Astros: 3 free agents to sign and 1 to avoid

Brad Hand could add some more experience to the Astros bullpen

There are other, bigger names out there, but the Astros could certainly benefit from having another experienced relief pitcher sitting in their bullpen. Brad Hand might just be the guy for them this offseason.

Hand hasn’t been the most consistent pitcher throughout his career. He’s posted a 3.68 ERA for his 11-year MLB career but is coming off a season during which he played for three different teams.

With the Washington Nationals, in 41 games, Hand had a 3.59 ERA. That skyrocketed when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays as his ERA sat at 7.27 after 11 games. When he was with the New York Mets, Hand had a 2.70 ERA.

That was all during 2021.

In 2020, Hand had a 2.05 ERA. He’s a little all over the place, depending on the sample of stats you examine.

But because of that inconsistency, Hand could potentially come at a fairly reasonable price. The Astros just paid a solid amount of money to Verlander to bring him back for another season, if they can avoid spending too much as they help improve their bullpen, they’re doing a good job.

All of that is especially true if free agent Kendall Graveman ends up leaving the Astros for another team.

Like with the aforementioned Stroman, Hand hasn’t been able to play for a contender. At 31-years-old and with over a decade of MLB experience under his belt, it would be wise for Hand to consider making a move to a contender. The Astros would fit that description.

When looking at his upside, Hand might be the perfect sort of gamble for Houston to take if they can lock him in at a reasonable price.