TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays are adding veteran left-hander Brad Hand to their bullpen in a trade that will send catcher Riley Adams to the Washington Nationals, industry sources told Sportsnet Thursday morning.
The deal, which was first reported by the Washington Post, gives the Blue Jays’ bullpen a three-time all-star who’s now enjoying another productive season at age 31. In 42.2 innings for Washington, Hand has a 3.59 ERA with 42 strikeouts compared to 18 walks.
Adams, 25, made his MLB debut earlier this season. He has spent most of the year at triple-A, where he’s showing legitimate power on his way to a .239/.371/.487 slash line. However, with strikeouts in 32 per cent of his at bats and an organizational surplus behind the plate, the Blue Jays deemed Adams expendable.
More to come.
