Brad Hand is the left-handed piece the New York Mets need to solidify their bullpen, but he is not an easy sign. The Mets are also competing with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros to acquire the three-time All-Star’s talents.
I love me some Liam Hendriks but this makes no sense.
Hendriks
• age: 31
• 3.17 ERA as reliever
• 40 saves
• 1x All Star
• 4-yr/$54M contract with CWSBrad Hand
• age: 30
• 2.96 ERA as reliever
• 105 saves
• 3x All Star
• waived/passed on by all 30 teams ($10M option) pic.twitter.com/JZQuT7anqQ— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) January 12, 2021
There was a report of the Mets being close to a deal a couple of days ago, but it never came to fruition. This was the same situation when the Mets signed James McCann. Both sides were close to a deal, then it was not true, and in the end, McCann ended up signing with the Mets.
A legitimate argument could be made for Hand being a better reliever than Liam Hendriks. Hand will undeservingly receive less money and is a bargain for his elite level of production. If the difference between the Mets signing him is years, not money, they would be foolish to hold out on giving him his requests. The track record for Hand is excellent and stronger than Hendriks since 2016.
Hand is just as important of a signing as George Springer but easier to replace. Justin Wilson is a reliable replacement compared to Jackie Bradley Jr. or Kevin Pillar for center field. The second Hand signs with the Mets, they will have the best bullpen in baseball, and that is something the Mets have not been able to say in the history of their franchise.