3 free agent lefty relievers to pair with Brooks Raley

3) NY Mets free agent target Brad Hand is a solid reunion candidate

Hello, old friend. Brad Hand was a Mets target when he first became available before the 2021 season. They did end up snagging him late in the season following his DFA by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was good for the Mets and put up similar numbers last year as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hand’s career numbers are amazingly not so awesome. It took him a while to find his stride. Those early years when he was working as a starter did a lot of damage to his ERA which now sits at 3.62.

We know better than to trust this number. There was a time when Hand was one of the best closers in baseball. Surprisingly brief now that we look at it, the 2017-2020 seasons helped turn him into a name Mets fans knew even though we rarely saw him.

Hand turns 33 in March which does come as a bit of a shock. I would have guessed he has been on this earth closer to 35 years already. He was a little better against left-handed batters last year than right-handed ones (.217/.319/.367 vs. .226/.344/.293) but would fall more into the setup role like Chafin.

It’s always possible Hand is looking for a chance to be a closer again. The Phillies never seemed dedicated to having him in that role. The Mets don’t have the space, but they can build a multi-headed monster with him in the back of the bullpen before the ball even gets to Diaz.