Hand was confirmed as Cleveland's closer by manager Terry Francona on Saturday, Nick Camino of Newsradio WTAM 1100 reports.

EDGE Analysis

The announcement is hardly a surprise, as Hand is clearly the best reliever in Francona's bullpen. The Indians haven't been afraid to use their best reliever earlier in the game in the past few years, thanks to Andrew Miller's flexibility, but the team still had a dedicated closer in Cody Allen during that time. With both of those pitchers now gone, Hand will be called on to fill Allen's role, not Miller's.