Hand was traded to Cleveland along with Adam Cimber in exchange for Francisco Mejia on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Hand immediately bolsters a major area of need for the Indians, as the bullpen has clearly been the club's Achilles' heel this year. Through 41 appearances with the Padres, Hand sported a 3.05 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 24 saves in 29 opportunities. In addition, he's logged 65 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. It remains to be seen whether Hand will displace Cody Allen as Cleveland's ninth-inning man, though it's more likely that he's used as a high-leverage reliever in a similar capacity to Andrew Miller (knee). Hand will be under team control through the 2020 season, with a club option for the 2021 campaign.