Phillies

Bob Says the Phillies and Brad Hand are “Deep into Talks” (UPDATED)

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Mar 14th, 2022 · 10:50 AM EDT

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EDIT – looks like this just went official via Passan

Our very own Bob Wankel has this bit of news to follow up on a Jon Heyman tweet:

I was told yesterday the Phillies and Brad Hand are deep into talks.

Source said he expected the deal to get done.

— Bob Wankel (@Bob_Wankel) March 14, 2022

Phillies are in talks with Brad Hand, one of the few good lefty relievers left

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 14, 2022

Okay so the difference here is Heyman says “in talks” and Bob says “deep into talks.” That’s enough for me to put Bob’s tweet on top. Also, Bob didn’t even tell me about this. He just posted it on Twitter. I’m pretty sure that’s a violation to just go and post something like that without informing the fellas on the content side of the business. Maybe it’s the cold shoulder because I chastise him for being an unrelenting Carson Wentz hater.

Anyway, Hand is a three-time All Star and turns 32 next week. He’s a free agent lefty who started 2021 with the Nationals before being traded to Toronto, where he struggled and was ultimately DFA’d and then picked up by the Mets. Hand really is not far removed from those All-Star years, though. From 2017 to 2019 he logged more than 100 saves with an ERA hovering right around .275. He had a funky 2021 season and hopefully that was the outlier. A blip. An aberration.

This wouldn’t be an amazing signing, but the Phils need a lefty and we can solve the bullpen volatility problem by just throwing bodies at it. Strangle it with quantity over quality. Hand will at least wipe away some of the stink from the Odubel news, and as long as you don’t get Toronto Hand, then it’s all good.

By the way, speaking of people with the last name “Hand,” shout out Mr. Hand from Fast Times and Ridgemont High: