MLB trade rumors: Yankees, Red Sox shut out on Padres’ Brad Hand?

by Felix Pantaleón

The San Diego Padres are considering trading All-Star closer Brad Hand before the July 31, 2018 (7/31/18) non-waiver deadline. Both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are interested in Hand, who has 24 saves and a 2.91 ERA this season for the last-place Padres.

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While much of the trade deadline talk right now surrounds Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado and the bevy of mediocre starting pitchers available, it’s easy to forget that most contenders will also look to improve their bullpens.

That includes the Yankees (who have to monitor the health of Aroldis Chapman) and Red Sox (who need a bridge to All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel).

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that both AL East contenders are chasing Orioles reliever Zach Britton.

That could be happening because the San Diego Padres seem unwilling to part with All-Star closer Brad Hand, per Fancred’s Jon Heyman:

While Brad Hand’s name is out there, one rival says that to trade him “they’d absolutely have to kill it.” If they were to get a deal like the Yankees got for Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller, that rival thought they’d do it. Otherwise, no. Hand is under contract through 2020, and as one rival put it, “They expect to compete next year and the year after.” …

Another rival put it this way, “Hand is going nowhere.”

Hand, for his part, is trying to tune out the trade rumors, per MLB.com:

While he’s aware of the trade rumors, Hand said Thursday on MLB Network Radio that he hopes to stay in San Diego.

“I love it here,” Hand said. “I think that we’re going to have a good team here in the next few years.”

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Hand is in demand both because of his performance and his contract.

He has 24 saves and a 2.91 ERA this season for the Padres, who are in last place in the National League West with a record of 40-56.

According to Spotrac, Hand is under team control through 2020, and his contract is quite reasonable, even when you take into account his signing bonus: $7.083 million for 2019, $7.583 million for 2020, and a team option for $10 million in 2021 with a $1 million buyout.

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