Relief Pitcher Brad Hand Makes History After Debuting For Atlanta Braves

Veteran reliever Brad Hand made his debut for the Atlanta Braves on Friday, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning in his new team's 8-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Hand's actual performance was relatively standard, but just appearing helped the 33-year-old left-hander make divisional history. Hand is now the first player ever to play for all five teams currently in the NL East, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs.

Prior to his 31st birthday, Hand had only played for one NL East team – the Miami Marlins. Hand debuted with the Marlins when they were still branded as the Florida Marlins, and he remained with the organization for five seasons as a part-time starter.

Hand then emerged as a closer, earning three All-Star appearances with the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians from 2016 to 2020. In addition to his 2.70 ERA, 1.066 WHIP and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings, Hand ranked No. 9 in the majors with 104 saves in that span.

From there, Hand became a journeyman of sorts, which is when he started checking off boxes across the rest of the NL East.

Hand signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Washington Nationals as a free agent in January 2021, only for the Nationals to send him to the New York Mets at that season's trade deadline. The Mets waived Hand a month later despite his 2.70 ERA through 16 appearances, and the Toronto Blue Jays added him to their expanded September roster.

The following offseason, Hand ink a one-year, $6 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he posted a 2.80 ERA across 55 games. Hand hit free agency again this past winter, and he signed with the Colorado Rockies.

The struggling Rockies traded Hand to the Braves on Tuesday, and Atlanta activated him on Wednesday.

By completing the career trip around the NL East, Hand is now a reliable option in Baseball Reference's daily Immaculate Grid game. Hand joins first baseman Steve Pearce, who played for every AL East club, and outfielder Steve Finley, who played for every team in the NL West.