One of the greatest offseason acquisitions in baseball, Josh Hader, is expected to sign a record MLB deal for a relief pitcher and join the Houston Astros.
After spending just over a season with the Padres, the lefty closer will sign a five-year, $95 million contract with the Astros, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.Good bullpen arms are always in demand, thus many teams were vying for Hader’s services this summer. However, it looks he decided to join one of the major league teams.
Given that the Astros have one of the best bullpens in baseball and a good closer in Ryan Pressly, they are a bit of a surprise choice for Hader.
With Pressly out of the ninth inning, it’s unclear if the Astros will have the finest set-up-and-closing combination in MLB.
In current currency, Hader’s contract with the Mets is worth more than Edwin Díaz’s. Deferrals, according to Passan, reduced Diaz’s contract from the previously announced $102.5 million to about $93.1 million.
Since 2017, the Astros have advanced to the ALCS at the very least, and they are expected to have another successful season this year.
The Texas Rangers, Houston’s rivals, defeated Houston in the ALCS last season, and they went on to win their first World Series.
The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics round up the American League West, which is likely to be contested by Texas, Houston, and the Seattle Mariners.
The Milwaukee Brewers were Hader’s team for the first five and a half years of his career.
