The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off an almost flawless season. They were the best team in MLB from start to finish, extended Mookie Betts to a huge contract, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going to go away any time soon.
However, there were two areas where they’ve been kind of weak over the past 3 years or so. The coaching and their bullpen, and now that Dave Roberts finally redeemed himself with that must-win World Series championship, it’s time to address their other flaw.
That’s why, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, the reigning World Series champions are reportedly looking to sign free agent LHP Brad Hand if they fail to resign Blake Treinen, who’s most likely joininganother team.
Los Angeles Dodgers Want To Add Brad Hand
“A source told MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi that the World Series champion Dodgers are expressing interest in Hand, and Morosi speculates that Los Angeles could have visions of Hand filling the same role that fellow free agent Blake Treinen just filled in front of closer Kenley Jansen,“ read the report.
However, even though Hand is coming off quite a solid year with the Cleveland Indians, Morosi still claimed that there are some concerns regarding his durability and speed as he enters this stage in his career:
“While Hand put up elite statistics in 2020, his free agency does carry some red flags with declines in his fastball velocity and whiff rate. Still, he struck out one-third of the hitters he faced this year, and a role similar to the one Treinen just played for the Dodgers — as a reliever some teams would still covet as a closer, but who might be best suited as a setup man at this stage of his career — would make a lot of sense for Hand. The Dodgers could also be one of the few teams that could offer Hand a salary close to the $10 million option that all 30 teams declined to pick up after the Indians placed Hand on waivers last month,” he concluded.
Hand would be a massive pickup for the Dodgers and an upgrade over Treinen. Then again, it seems like they should try and prioritize replacing the ever-struggling Kenley Jansen before anything else.
