Houston Astros Star Reliever Was 'All In' When Asked About Acquiring Josh Hader

It seems like everyone was on board with the possibility that the Houston Astros could land the best reliever on the market this offseason.

The Houston Astros certainly made a splash when they agreed to a five-year, $95 million contract with Josh Hader.

It was a necessary move, considering all they had lost from their bullpen unit this offseason.

But while many expected the Astros to address the clear issues their relief staff had, the fact owner Jim Crane was willing to hand out the largest contract ever to a free agent under his ownership and pay into the luxury tax, was telling.

Once the owner gave the green light, it was up to general manager Dana Brown and his front office to secure the deal.

Before doing so, he and first-year manager Joe Espada reached out to their current closer, Ryan Pressly, to see his thoughts about them potentially landing the superstar reliever.

While professional sports is a business and cutthroat by nature, relationships and team chemistry are still important factors when building a winning culture.

If Pressly was against the move, then the clubhouse might be pulling in separate directions instead of towards the goal of winning a championship.

However, Espada said that the righty was "all in" with the idea that Hader would be part of Houston moving forward.

"He's like, 'Joe, I understand. We want to win. This guy's one of the best pitchers available, and I understand.' He's excited. I'm excited. Everyone is excited," the manager told Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

That certainly sounds great with Pressly handling this move like a professional, but Rome also had an interesting note in his story that said Pressly declined multiple interview requests on Saturday at the team facility.

Just because he understands the move, doesn't necessarily mean he has to like it.

After all, the right-hander has been one of the best closers in the game after the Astros acquired him in a trade back in 2018. His ERA of 2.67 across 283 appearances with 107 saves, suggests that.

It will be up to the first-year manager to figure what roles each player will have and navigate the relationships in their clubhouse.