San Diego Padres confirm 5x All-Star Josh Hader's departure as part of free agency exodus, Blake Snell also follows suit

On Thursday, the San Diego Padres made an announcement regarding the fate of several players on their roster. The team stated that both Josh Hader and Blake Snell have now officially become unrestricted free agents.

"We have made the following roster moves. After today’s moves, we have 33 players on our 40-man roster." - @Padres

Although the San Diego Padres could still re-sign all nine of their players who are now officially on the free-agent market, the fact that they did not reach a contract extension makes them available to all 30 teams.

Snell and Hader are both expected to be looking to secure long-term, lucrative deals, so exploring the open market may be the best bet for both players from a financial standpoint.

After a disappointing season for the Padres, the club may undergo a serious overhaul not only in regards to the staff but the roster as well. It remains to be seen if the team will pursue Blake Snell or Josh Hader on the open market. However, they will likely need to outbid a plethora of interested parties.

“dad tell me about 2023 gary sanchez” - @FaxFriars

Aside from Blake Snell and Josh Hader, the San Diego Padres also announced several other players who are heading for free agency. These players include Gary Sanchez, Drew Pomeranz, Ji-Man Choi, Jurickson Profar, Rich Hill, and Luis Garcia.

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A closer look at the 2023 seasons from Blake Snell and Josh Hader with the San Diego Padres

San Diego fell well short of their 2023 World Series expectations, missing the postseason altogether. However, even though the team struggled, this was not the case for both Josh Hader and Blake Snell, who were dominant.

Josh Hader continued his reign as arguably the best closer in baseball, earning the fifth All-Star selection of his career. Over 56.1 innings, Hader posted a dazzling 1.28 ERA with 33 saves and 85 strikeouts. He will enter free agency as the most sought-after bullpen arm on the market.

"Congratulations to Juan Soto and Blake Snell on being named to Sporting News’ National League All-Star team!" - @Padres

For Blake Snell, 2023 was one of the best seasons of his career. The 30-year-old posted a 14-9 record with a league-leading 2.25 ERA while also racking 234 strikeouts over 180.0 innings.