Texas Rangers: If Brad Hand can return a top prospect, why can’t Keone Kela?

Contracts: Keone Kela compared to Brad Hand

Brad Hand

Signed for 3 years, $19,750,000

-2018: $3.5 million

-2019: $6.5 million

-2020: $7 million

-2021 Club Option: $10 million

Keone Kela

Signed for 1-year, $1,200,000

-2018: $1.2 million

-2019: Arbitration Eligible

-2020: Arbitration Eligible

Both contracts are very team friendly. The Cleveland Indians got an established MLB reliever who has had back-to-back fantastic seasons for very cheap. Hand is now under contract with Cleveland for at least the next two seasons. There is no question Brad Hand’s light contract played a huge role in the trade. Frankly, it probably equaled the importance of his on-field numbers.

More from Texas Rangers News

• 3 Texas Rangers outfield trade targets not named Bryan Reynolds
• Did Jacob deGrom really mean what he said at his Texas Rangers press conference?
• Martin Perez accepting the qualifying offer looking like solid deal for the Rangers
• 4 outfielders the Texas Rangers can still pursue this winter
• Is a six-man rotation in the Texas Rangers’ near future?

Keone Kela’s contract is team friendly as well. He is under team control through 2020. Arbitration keeps contract negotiations between the player and his team only, so he will remain with his assigned team. Kela has earned a nice pay raise based on his 2018 performance; therefore, he could come out of arbitration costing more than Hand in 2019. Nevertheless, he would still be under team control.

Who wouldn’t want two and a half seasons of a 25-year-old Keone Kela that is just now entering into his prime???