5 best trade candidates if the Philadelphia Phillies are deadline sellers
By Tim Boyle
5. Philadelphia Phillies trade candidate: Brad Hand.
Brad Hand looks like a good one-year buy for the Phillies in their attempt to restock the bullpen. He probably won’t be back again next season. Much like Knebel and even Jeurys Familia—a player with much less trade value—Hand is someone the Phillies would most likely shop in a non-buying summer.
As a lefty with closer experience, Hand is someone teams could use as everything from a setup man to the second lefty out of the bullpen. His $6 million contract will have been more than halfway paid by the time the trade deadline arrives so there’s no real burden on anyone’s payroll.
Hand was an “all or nothing” type of signing by the Phillies with an expectation that if they don’t win now with him they’d probably thank him for his services and move on. Nothing should change this. He is too much of a veteran for a long-term deal of any kind.
Next. 3 Phillies trade deadline needs emerging. dark
The market for a guy like Hand already exists and surely there are general managers keeping tabs on his performance. Once one of the game’s best closers, he is now a guy hoping to make it as long as he can in Philly. With good but not great value on the trade market, he’s someone the team will absolutely sell if the season gets lost.