In a stunning turn of events, southpaw closer Brad Hand has been placed on outright waivers. This means that the Indians will not be picking up his $10MM club option, but any team that claims him off of waivers will. If he clears waivers, he is to be released. However, if they release him, they have to pay a $1MM buyout fee.

They originally planned to decline it, yet this gives them an opportunity to save a million bucks. It’s surprising that they don’t want him back at a relatively small pricetag, considering he led the AL in saves (16), posting a 2.05 ERA and a 22-to-4 K/BB ratio. Since his previous waiver claim with San Diego, he’s had a 12.2 K per nine and a 2.70 ERA.

He is 30, which is something to consider, but considering the relatively weak market, he is most certainly a commodity. Hand has had three consecutive All-Star campaigns until 2020, which did not feature an All-Star game.

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