Hader, Astros Agree to Record Deal

Everything is bigger in Texas.

Five-time all-star Josh Hader has agreed to a five-year, $95-million deal with the Houston Astros, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Friday.

Along with it being the largest modern-day value contract for a relief pitcher in baseball history, New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that Hader contract will have a full no-trade clause, per source, plus a fat bonus for earning the Reliever of the Year Award, which in the American League is named after New York Yankee legend Mariano Rivera.

For the moment, New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz’s $102 million contract, which he inked last winter, remains the highest overall contract for a relief pitcher but his deal includes referrals, which Hader’s does not.

The south-paw was dealt to the San Diego Padres in a trade deadline deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.

Hader, 29 years-of-age, was dealing and had a sparkling 1.28 ERA and 33 saves in 38 save opportunities for an underwhelming Padres team in 2023. He struck out 85 and surrendered 30 free passes.

He now joins a loaded Astros bullpen featuring two-time all-star Ryan Pressly, as well as Bryan Abreu and Hector Neris who both pitched to sub-2.00 ERAs last season. Overall, the Astros’ pen pitched to a 3.56 ERA, good for sixth in MLB.

Hader was selected to a Midsummer Classic in each of his five full seasons in the major leagues and has turned himself into arguably the game’s best closer, with an MLB-best 153 saves since back in 2019.
His 437 Ks in that five-year period are a staggering 59 more than the next-closest reliever.

In his seven-year MLB career with the Brewers and Padres, Hader has a 2.50 ERA and 165 saves in 190 chances.

The Baltimore Orioles selected Hader in the 19th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Astros and then the Brew Crew before making his MLB debut in 2017.

Hader has taken home MLB Nations League reliever of the year a trio of times.