Nationals agree to terms with left-hander Brad Hand

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with left-handed pitcher Brad Hand on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Hand, 30, joins the Nationals after going 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA and a Major League-leading 16 saves in 2020. He struck out 29 batters while walking just four in 22.0 innings pitched across 23 outings. Hand posted a 0.77 walks/hits per innings pitched, a .169 opponents' batting average and did not allow a home run in 2020. Following the season, Hand was named All-MLB Second Team by Major League Baseball.

In 2019, Hand earned his third consecutive All-Star selection after converting 22 consecutive save opportunities and posting a 1.05 ERA and a .161 opponents' batting average from the start of the season through June 24. He finished the season with 34 saves, third-most in the American League and the most in a season by a left-handed pitcher in Cleveland history.

Hand became a full-time reliever in 2016. Since then, he ranks among left-handed relievers in strikeouts (1st, 434), saves (2nd, 104), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (4th, 12.21), WHIP (6th, 1.07) and ERA (6th, 2.70). Additionally, opposing left-handed batters have hit just .150 with a .237 on-base percentage and a .264 slugging percentage while right-handed batters have hit .226 with a .301 on-base percentage and a .367 slugging percentage against him over this span.

A veteran of 10 Major League seasons, Hand is 26-43 with 105 saves and a 3.65 ERA in 396 career games (43 starts) with Cleveland, San Diego and Miami. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hand was originally selected by the Florida Marlins in the second round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

The Nationals now have 37 players on their 40-man roster.