Josh Hader's 9th Inning Mindset Has Seemed to Change Now That He's Not With Padres

The San Diego Padres lost veteran closer Josh Hader this offseason, as he signed with the Houston Astros. Hader was always likely to go elsewhere this offseason, and the Padres will fill the void using multiple relief options.

One of the knocks on Hader has been his hesitancy to pitch in any situation that didn't directly involve trying to get a save. It cost the Friars some games during his time there, and many have criticized him for it.

However, his mindset seems to have shifted now that he is with the Astros. Maybe the $95 million he signed on for was the deciding factor for him.

"We signed here to win baseball games, to win a championship," Hader said Monday when asked if he expected to be the team's closer. "I think like Dana said, Ryan's in the same boat and we're all in the same boat to do whatever we can and win ballgames and take it to the final step."

Per Josh Hader via ESPN

Hader sure sounds like a team player now that he has left the Padres. He wants to win, and nobody is questioning that, but it's a little odd of a response.

Maybe he is saying all the right things now to build a good first impression with the team, but it is likely frustrating for the Padres organization. However, they didn't bring him back for a reason, despite his dominant production last season.

"The goal is to win ... the World Series," Hader said. "And when the team has already done that multiple times and they know how to get there and they know how to take it all the way through the playoffs, you can learn something like that in your career. And I think that was the one thing that I was missing in my career that I could benefit from."

Per Josh Hader via ESPN

Hader will make the Astros very dangerous in the late innings, but nothing is a guarantee. He may resort back to his strange tendencies down the line, but for now, all is good out in Houston.