The Dodgers have been linked to free-agent lefty Brad Hand over the past week or so, but they’re more on the “periphery” of his market, writes Fansided’s Robert Murray. The Mets are still in talks with Hand and his representatives, while both the Astros and Blue Jays are also involved to varying extents. Reports that Hand was closing in on a deal with the Mets last week proved a bit premature, although it seems they’re still squarely in the mix for the former All-Star closer. As for the Dodgers, even if they’re not major players in the Hand market at the moment, Murray suggests they’d still like to add another reliever to the bullpen.
A few more notes on the free agent pitching market as it starts to percolate…
- MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets that Jeremy Jeffress is on the radar of several clubs, including the Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Nationals and Blue Jays. It’s a wide field, though the level of interest of each team surely varies. The 33-year-old Jeffress was dominant back in 2018 but hasn’t replicated that form since. He did post an aesthetically pleasing 1.54 ERA and 54.4 percent grounder rate in 23 1/3 innings with the Cubs last year, but the rest of his numbers were something of a mess. Jeffress’ 13.6 percent walk rate was his worst since establishing himself as a consistent presence in MLB bullpens, while his 19.3 percent strikeout rate was 10 percent lower than his 29.8 percent clip from that brilliant 2018 campaign. Last year also saw Jeffress post career-worsts in average fastball velocity (93.3 mph), average exit velocity (89.9 mph) and hard-hit rate (45.6 percent). If Jeffress can rediscover his ’18 form, he’d be a premium late-inning option, but last year’s ERA was propped up by a .161 average on balls in play that is miles south of his career .308 mark.
- Anibal Sanchez and Julio Teheran will be throwing in front of scouts during a showcase today, and several teams will have personnel on hand. The list of confirmed attendees includes the Rays (as per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times), Twins (SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson), Marlins (MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola), and Mets (the New York Post’s Mike Puma).
Teheran to the Mets would be interesting.
As a braves fan, trust me you don’t want him. Also as a braves fan, please sign him! It would also kind of be fun to see Bryce Harper’s home run total keep going up on him.
Teheran needs to go to the land of the rising sun.
Zero interest (hopefully) in Teheran. He’s about as mediocre as a starting pitcher can get. Rick Porcello v.2.
That’s not fair to Rick Porcello.
I actually think Porcello is a very good comp
isn’t it amazing how much $ Porcello got last year compared to what a similar pitcher would get this winter
Jeffrees is very on and off. this would project to be an off year for him
That means the phillies will sign him
Jeffries need to do Cubs one more year only one year from major injuries
This wasn’t an on year for him though. Complete luck in a small sample size. His hit rate was in no way natural and his low K and high BB rate make for a mediocre at best reliever.
Seriously any GM thinking they are going to get anything close to a sub 2 era from him should be fired immediately and banned from the sport.
So by your logic he should have a good year next year since this was an off year for him. Sign me up.
luck isnt a stat
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jeremy-jeffress-502026?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb
When your ERA out performs the results of batted balls by this wide of a degree it’s fair to start calling luck a stat.
He out performed every estimator by a large amount, had a .161 BABIP and had 90 MPH exit velocity. There is no stat that determines luck, but you can deduce he got lucky because of how he pitched vs all other stats.
How about that Mutts gm, roughing up his suspect over the phone! The Mutts are a gift that just keeps on giving! At least Beltran was only pounding on a trash can!
you mean the guy that was fired already?
Take it easy on those exclamation marks, homophobe.
“Hompohobe”? Insert eyeroll.
Lame post, but nothing there about homophobia. Some of you folks just cannot wait to namecall, this board is like second grade recess sometimes.
It’s not a baseless claim. lolzmets made a homophobic comment yesterday towards someone. Thanks for the assumption though.
It is an entirely baseless claim. I said nothing homophobic at any point. You are reaching! But let me tell ya everybody LOVES white knights like you! Here’s a pro tip- no one is impressed.
#HimToo
On the topic of the Porter crap: I hope that she is able to sleep better tonight knowing that she just ruined his career right when it got going good. I’m not being sarcastic either. Porter is(was) a selfish person who decided to use his power to take advantage of others rather than for the good of others. I hope he never gets a job in baseball again. Borderline psychotic behavior.
She can’t undo what she had to be subject to for months, but I hope this helps her rest easier knowing that the news is out.
judging from what I read in the report, id assume she’s probably just happy people know to help spread awareness of the issue. I dont think it was a matter of what happened to him in specific thereafter.
David Fletcher would never act like Jared Porter
Preach.
We’re not allowed to post about that.
We’re like children & this story is like a firearm or fast car.
We just can’t handle that type of responsibility.
Anyway.
Anibel Sanchez: completely done or a dead cat bounce still left in that right arm?
Ditto that. Horrific that this monster created such a terror for her that it soured her on journalism and the states as well, and seems to have forced her into hiding. Also need to root out Porter’s manservant with the Cubs who seemed to be stalking her to see if she was going to press charges. Ugly business all around.
Yes, the Mets are the gift that keeps on giving. All of us fans of the Marlins, Braves, Phillies, and Nationals can have awful seasons or tough rebuilds, but those aren’t as bad since we know the Mets will always be the Mets and remain as the laughing stock of the NL East.
Hopefully Jeffress is clean and gets drug tested before they even talk to him about a contract.
He should get a therapeutic exemption. He was using marijuana to help with juvenile epilepsy. If it works for him so be it.
That Jared Porter. What a jerk!
Public figures named “Jared” have a reputation of being perverts.
Yeah, watch out when they offer to show their $5 footlong.
The subway guy creeped me out when I was a kid even before the whole thing came out about him being a worthless waste of flesh.
In his defense it wasn’t his, it wasn’t his dong.
(If you’re making fun of his really lame excuse, fair enough.)
That really isn’t a remotely adequate defense, though. So he was sending unsolicited pix of someone else’s penis instead. Consent is the issue, no matter whose it was.
Teheran would be a good choice, if he can pump up the radar.
angels need a lock-out pen more than a expensive starting pitcher. i just can’t understand what they are doing. christmas to spring training vacation?
They are doing the same thing as last year. Waiting till the top starter picks somewhere else to play than sign some k rap bottom of the barrel starter because that’s all that’s left. .
I suppose the Cubs are offering a cool million to Jeffress.
$850 K plus incentives
I can’t believe the Blue Jays are linked to Brad Hand. They haven’t been interested in anyone this off season;). Seriously though, I was a little shocked he passed through all clubs when waived at 10 million. Then after Liam Hendriks got such a deal (3 yr/54 million) from the White Sox he hasn’t been signed yet. His metrics have definitely slipped but after the Hendriks deal I’m surprised he hasn’t at least inked a deal. I’m guessing around a 2/18 million. Maybe he is holding out for a better deal.
They just signed Kirby Yates. It seems like they’ve been in on everyone actually.
Dodgers must be willing to eat the taxes this year. Hand would put them over… Turner would put them over… both well over.
If that’s the case – as crazy as it sounds – sign Springer. All kinds of reasons why they shouldn’t/wouldn’t, but they want a RHB, clutch gene. Dude is it. And there are a couple ways to fill 3B. Easiest is Taylor/Rios. Next is Belli back to 1B, Muncy at 3B. But the most interesting and daring: Lux at 3B.
Archie and Brad Hand would be a nice 1-2 punch at the end of games for the Phillies, rotating the 8th and 9th dictated by matchups. I’m surprised they havent been linked to him at all and passed on him at 10mil with their deficiencies.
With the Marlins having so many young pitchers, Anibal Sanchez would be a good fit as a veteran eating innings and providing leadership. Another add would be him perhaps finishing his career in Miami where he started – for what that’s worth.
Teheran would be an okay add for the Marlins, but a risk like Jose Urena who we just got rid of.
I’d love to see Sanchez back here stabilizing our staff with Alcantara, Sixto Sanchez, Lopez, Elieser Hernandez, and the stable of other young MLB-ready SPs in our franchise.
Teheran usually gave the braves a chance to win. He can still pitch but he be more effective as a 4th or 5th starter on a contending team.
I’ve been searching around for any discussion regarding interest in Jake Arrieta, but I’ve found nothing. I wouldn’t want him on my staff, but he throws a baseball and he has a pulse. Has anyone read anything regarding Arrieta?
I was a big Arrieta fan, but man has he regressed. He gives up crazy hard contact now, and doesn’t miss bats the way he use to either. I think he may be one of those guys that just loses his stuff quickly and then falls off the wagon. I doubt he has much left at all. Hopefully, he proves me wrong.
If Hand gets 10 mil or more I’m going to lose it because literally every team had the chance to have him for that much and they ALL passed. This offseason has been the year of the reliever (and the padres unloading their farm system) …Bigtime money going out to 1-inning guys.
Bloom will kick the tires on him and do nothing. At the end of last year, we needed a closer, middle relief help, a second baseman, and starting pitching. It is now January 19th and we need a closer, relief help, a second baseman, and starting pitching. I would grade Bloom’s job as Incomplete to a Failure.
Hope Jefress lands in a good spot. Cool story of how he plied his love for cooking into his own seafood food truck and then helped feed front line health care workers and at risk food insecure folks off his truck, often with him on duty as cook, during the first few months of the pandemic. Inspired to do so having dealt with epileptic seizures as a kid.
Since there are so few pitching coaches left that actually do well with reclamation projects I’m not sure if there is a team that can actually fix Teheran. So by signing him you accept the fact that he is going to give up Home Runs and give you a chance to lose every five days
Of all the people theyre “interested” in, the Red Sox should be wooing Brad Hand right now. They have a clear need for a closer and this guy gets it done.
Bloom is waiting for these guys to fall to them on the cheap
If The Redsox sign Sanchez or Teheran they will most likely lose every single game they start.. The AL East is to stacked to have mediocre pitching in that division they’ll ALL get eaten alive.. I sure hope the Redsox Don’t waste your money on them.. Burning it to stay warm would be a better use of the money…
The problem with the Red Sox is that the players see that Bloom is a “Tire Kicker” and does not do anything to improve the team but dump off players. They realize that the whole division has gotten better except Baltimore who we will be fighting with to stay out of last place with. With no improvements and the dumping off of Betts the players will go through the motions and use their options to get out of there.
Jeffries Cub fans need you to show stability in are pen with the closer set and young boys ready in the pen .We can be good still.
Totally misleading info on Jeffress. He was chosen NL reliever of the year.. His fastball speed is irrelevant. To goal is to get hitters out.. You apparently didn’t watch him..