Josh Hader Free Agency: MLB insider suggests coveted reliever could miss out on a nine-figure deal

Josh Hader is the top-rated free-agent relief pitcher on the open market. He is coming off a season where he appeared in 61 games with the San Diego Padres, compiling 33 saves with a 1.28 ERA.

Hader is expected to demand a large contract, but exactly how large of a contract will he get? MLB insider Jeff Passan believes the hard-throwing lefty may not get the bag he hoped for.

"The question is whether Hader will reach the nine-figure threshold, a mark only Edwin Diaz has exceeded (five years, $102 million) among relievers, or whether he's lielier to wind up in the Aroldis Chapman (five years, $85 million) and Kenley Jensen (five years, $80 million) territory" - Jeff Passan

"The fact that January has arrived with no clear favorite, multiple executives said, suggests the latter is more probable" - Passan.

As Passan stated, we are reaching the later stages of free agency, and no team has been truly aggressive in the Josh Hader sweepstakes. While he was looking for a deal that exceeds Edwin Diaz's, that likely will not happen.

Who is interested in Josh Hader?

A few teams have come out as interested in acquiring Josh Hader for the 2024 season and beyond. One of those teams is the team that has had the best offseason so far, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Expand Tweet

While they have already signed Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to record deals, alongside bringing in Tyler Glasnow, they remain interested in Hader. Signing him would almost seem unfair to the rest of the league.

Expand Tweet

Another team in the mix for Hader's services is the Texas Rangers. The team could use an elite closer, and Hader is just that. He would be an instant upgrade to the bullpen after a World Series season.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

Know More

Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom