3 Rockies relievers who the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

3 Rockies relievers who the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

2. Brad Hand

Speaking of lefty relievers, have I mentioned that the Giants could use another? The left side of the bullpen consists of Taylor Rogers and Scott Alexander. Sean Manaea and Alex Wood have either pitched out of the rotation or in a bulk innings role, but neither one has been consistently reliable.

Can the Giants find a lefty starter on the trade market? There is a St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitcher who makes a lot of sense, but he will be in demand. The Giants can mitigate some of that need by adding a bullpen arm who throws from the left side.

Brad Hand checks that box. The veteran reliever has put together a solid career as he has posted a 3.66 ERA across 13 seasons. Earlier in his career, he was one of the more reliable closers in baseball, but save opportunities have dried up in recent seasons.

That said, Hand has put together a quality season as he has registered a 4.76 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.55 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, and a 2.43 SO/W ratio in 32 appearances. The 33-year-old is not a power pitcher, relying primarily on a slider that gets plenty of swinging strikes.

That would bring a bit of a slightly different look than someone like Taylor Rogers, who flashes better velocity in comparison. Hand has a $7 million team option for next season. While it would be nice to add a reliever with multiple years of control, that might be too steep of a cost for most teams, making him a rental in essence.