MLB Rumors: Josh Hader, Astros Agree to Record-Setting 5-Year, $95M Contract

After being one of the few bright spots for the 2023 San Diego Padres, closer Josh Hader has cashed in with a long-term deal from the Houston Astros.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the five-time All-Star has agreed to a record-setting five-year, $95 million deal with the Astros.

Hader will make $19 million from 2024-28 and has a full no-trade clause, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

The signing comes after the Padres extended a qualifying offer to Hader. The one-year tender would have guaranteed him $20.3 million if he had accepted it, though there seemed to be little possibility of that coming off an excellent 2023.

San Diego was the talk of Major League Baseball during the 2022-23 offseason. The team handed out $894.3 million in contracts between free-agent signings and extensions.

Adding Xander Bogaerts to a lineup with Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. was supposed to give the Padres one of the most formidable offenses in the league last season.

Things didn't go as planned, as San Diego finished third in the NL West with an 82-80 record. The lineup, in particular, was a problem, ranking 13th in MLB in runs scored and 15th in slugging percentage. The pitching staff more than held up its end of the bargain, finishing with the second-best ERA in the league and tying for second in shutouts.

Despite the evidence to suggest a quick turnaround was possible, the Padres figure to take a step back next season after trading Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees for a package of five players, including four pitchers.

They also lost Nick Martinez, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo in free agency. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell is still available, though he seems unlikely to return to San Diego. Those four players accounted for 571 innings thrown in 2023.

San Diego's return in the Soto trade does help the MLB rotation for next season. Michael King and Randy Vásquez both had sub-3.00 ERAs in 2023, though they only pitched a combined 142.1 innings.

The 2022 campaign was the first time in Hader's career that hitters were able to really get to him. He had a 5.22 ERA in 56 appearances between San Diego and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Then-Padres manager Bob Melvin temporarily removed him from the closer's role amid his ongoing struggles. Hader got back on track after returning to the ninth inning on Aug. 31.

In his final 17 appearances including the postseason, Hader allowed just one earned run and six hits with 24 strikeouts over 16.2 innings.

The 2023 season featured a vintage Hader with a 1.28 ERA, 85 strikeouts and 32 hits allowed in 56.1 innings. He was named to the NL All-Star squad for the third consecutive year.

The Astros will be counting on Hader to bring that level of dominance to their bullpen for the 2024 season and beyond as they pursue another World Series title.

The Astros bullpen was solid during the 2023 season, but they did lack an impact closer. Ryan Pressly was fine in the role with 31 saves, a 3.58 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

Adding Hader to the group allows new manager Joe Espada to organize the bullpen however he wants. The ninth inning will obviously be taken care of by Hader.

Pressly can shift back to a setup role that he thrived in over the four seasons prior to 2023. They also have Bryan Abreu, who has a 1.84 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 132.1 innings over the past two seasons, capable of pitching in high-leverage situations

Last season was the first time in a long time that the Astros really looked vulnerable in the American League West. They did end up winning the division for the third straight year and sixth time since 2017, but lost to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS.

The Astros and Rangers both look formidable on paper once again, but Texas has the momentum going into 2024 after winning the World Series.

Signing Hader does help the Astros close the gap on their AL West rivals as they chase another division title and look to get back to the Fall Classic after falling short in 2023.