Houston Astros Making Massive Push for All-Star Reliever
The Houston Astros are looking to sign Josh Hader, arguably the best reliever in baseball, to a deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the news on Thursday afternoon, noting that Hader would take over for Ryan Pressly as the team's closer.
Hader, still only 29 years old, posted a 1.28 ERA and had 33 saves last season. He tied his career high for appearances, throwing in 61 games.
Across the 56 1/3 innings that Hader pitched, he struck out 85 batters and only gave up three home runs. According to The Athletic, Hader is the career leader in opponents' average against (minimum 300 innings), holding hitters to just a .156 batting average.
The Astros have lost much of their bullpen this offseason.
With Kendall Graveman undergoing shoulder surgery and expecting to miss the entire 2024 season, and Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek, and Phil Maton all departing this offseason, a move was needed.
But despite knowing that, general manager Dana Brown had previously stated they would not be changing their offseason plans.
It seems like that thinking may have changed.
This would be a massive move for Houston who's already one of the best teams in baseball.
Adding a lockdown closer only makes them better when it matters most, which is in October as they chase their third World Series title.
Hader was in the Astros' system before as he was acquired by the club in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles in 2013 for Bud Norris. He was then shipped to the Milwaukee Brewers two years later for Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers.
They also showed interest in acquiring him at last year's deadline, but the San Diego Padres didn't sell when most expected them to.
The left-hander has reportedly been seeking a contract comparable or surpassing Edwin Diaz's five-year, $102 million deal he signed with the New York Mets.
Houston has financially handicapped themselves for the majority of this offseason, preventing them from chasing the elite players in free agency.
However, Brown said they'd be willing to spend for the right player.
Maybe that player is Hader.
