Blue Jays fans had been calling on the club to make its Toronto homecoming on Friday extra special with the acquisition of a new face or two ahead or the MLB trade deadline and the organization delivered on Thursday, acquiring Washington Nationals closer Brad Hand. Toronto used its catching depth to secure the left hander, sending prospect Riley Adams to the 2019 World Series champions in return. Hand was one of the top free-agent relievers this past off-season and the Jays were reportedly one of the teams who checked in on him at the time. He signed a one-year, $10.5-million (U.S.) deal with the Nationals in January and posted a 3.59 ERA in 42 2/3 innings this season. The game between the two teams was postponed on Wednesday after Washington announced four players and eight staffers also tested positive.

Source: thestar July 29, 2021 16:18 UTC