Astros Manager Sparks Closer Drama With Bizarre Josh Hader Comments
After signing Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million deal, the Houston Astros now have one of the best closers in baseball.
A five-time All-Star and three-time NL Reliever of the Year winner, Hader is one of the most dominant relief pitchers in the game. He's also coming off a sensational 2023 campaign with the San Diego Padres, finishing the year with 33 saves, a 1.28 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings.
Hader has been a full-time closer for five years now, and the expectation is that he'll continue to handle ninth-inning duties in Houston.
New Astros manager Joe Espada doesn't see it that way, however, at least not yet.
When asked about Hader's role with the team, Espada stunningly refused to name him as the club's closer.
"That’s going to play out itself," the first-year manager said when referring to Houston's ninth-inning situation. "We're just excited to have Hader on the team. Our back end just got that much stronger. The ninth inning will play out."
Apparently, Espada isn't ready to strip incumbent closer Ryan Pressly of his closing job just yet.
Pressly is a two-time All-Star who's been the Astros' full-time closer for the past three years, racking up 90 saves during that time. He's also been lights-out for Houston in the playoffs, recording 14 saves with a 2.22 ERA in 46 appearances.
Espada's comments imply that there will be a closer battle between Hader and Pressly in Spring Training, with the loser presumably serving as the team's setup man. Espada prefers to have set roles for his relievers, so he's unlikely to mix and match Hader and Pressly in a closer-by-committee.
Pressly's great, but he's not as talented as Hader. The Astros aren't paying Hader nearly $100 million to be a setup man, either, so it would truly be a shock if Pressly opens the year as Houston's closer.
