Rangers Among 3 Contenders ‘In Play’ for Closer For The World Rated Player
The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers are the three teams “in play” to sign five-time All-Star closer Josh Hader, according to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports.
Bowden added in his December 28 video report for CBS Sports that Hader is seeking a deal “north of Edwin Díaz,” whose five-year, $102 million contract signed with the New York Mets last offseason was the richest in MLB history for a relief pitcher.
No team has yet offered that rich of a deal to Hader, who recorded a dominant 1.28 ERA and 33 saves for the San Diego Padres last season while striking out 85 batters in 56.1 innings pitched.
Hader, Bowden noted that all three teams would prefer to sign or trade for a starting pitcher before adding a closer such as Hader.
“If the Yankees aren’t able to get Jordan Montgomery back, which they’re hopeful to do, they will not be afraid to pivot to get Hader. I just don’t think they’re going to go to the five years [Edwin] Díaz got,” said Bowden, an MLB insider who previously held general manager roles with the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals.
At 29 years old, Hader is aiming to become the highest-paid reliever in MLB history in the same offseason that the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract for U.S. team sports.
The Dodgers have also signed starting pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12 years, $325 million) and Tyler Glasnow (5 years, $136.5 million) to push their offseason spending to more than $1 billion, so it’s a bit surprising to see the Dodgers also reported as a potential suitor for Hader.
Hader has won the National League Reliever of the Year Award three times in his seven MLB seasons since he debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017. The flamethrowing lefty was traded by the Brewers to San Diego in 2022. To help replace Hader, the Padres signed Japanese relief ace Yuki Matsui to a five-year deal worth $28 million earlier this offseason.
The Already Elite Yankee Bullpen Would Become Nasty With Josh Hader
According to Covers.com, the Yankees’ 3.34 bullpen ERA was the best among all MLB teams last season. The addition of Hader would take a 2023 strong suit and make it all the more dominant in 2024, as relief stalwarts Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Jonathan Loaisiga would serve as set-up options.
Hader’s addition would help offset the loss of Michael King, who the Yankees traded to the Padres this offseason as part of their package to bring in superstar outfielder Juan Soto. The versatile King pitched in 49 games for the Yanks last season, including nine starts to compile a 2.75 ERA in 104.2 innings.
Few pitchers in MLB can look as dominant as Hader—who in May 2021 became the fastest pitcher ever to reach 400 strikeouts. He did so in just 234 2/3 innings pitched, breaking the previous record of 236 innings set by fellow reliever Craig Kimbrel in 2014.
However, Hader had a bout of poor performance for parts of the 2022 season after the Brewers traded him to San Diego. In his first month with the Padres, Hader was removed from the team’s closer role in August after he allowed six earned runs in his first five appearances.
Hader’s struggles were short-lived as he regained his All-Star form in September 2022 and into the playoffs before having a stellar 2023 season for San Diego.
