The Atlanta Braves had been looking for some relief pitching for days.
They know that the key to make a long, successful playoff run is having a dominant bullpen, so they went out and acquired veteran left-hander Brad Hand from the Colorado Rockies.
Hand will be playing for his ninth different team, which makes him quite a globetrotter in today’s MLB.
He is still very much effective, even if he is not the dominant, shutdown lefty he was in his 2016-2020 prime.
Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated also notes how many teams he has played for since 2020.
“Incredible that this is Brad Hand’s seventh (!) team since 2020 but just his ninth overall. Still has the ability to potentially make a run at Octavio Dotel / Edwin Jackson territory…” she tweeted.
Incredible that this is Brad Hand's seventh (!) team since 2020 but just his ninth overall. Still has the ability to potentially make a run at Octavio Dotel / Edwin Jackson territory… https://t.co/h7RsnlQPMF
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) August 1, 2023
Octavio Dotel and then Edwin Jackson were the absolute kings of collecting different uniforms throughout their respective careers.
Hand is still a bit behind, but his career isn’t over so he could eventually get there.
With Hand joining Atlanta, he will have worn the uniform of the five NL East teams.
It’s a nice addition by the Braves, a team where Hand won’t be required to be the first or second relief option.
This season, the southpaw has accumulated a 4.54 ERA in 35.2 innings.
We have to note, of course, that he used to call Coors Field home.
In fact, he had a 4.15 ERA on the road as opposed to a 4.91 mark at home.
In Atlanta, not only he will get out of the thin mountain air, but he will also have better coaches and a more effective analytics department available to improve his performance.
It’s a savvy acquisition from a team with clear World Series aspirations.
NEXT: Braves Add To Their Bullpen In Key Trade With Rockies
