Josh Hader stuns MLB, agrees historic deal with Houston Astros

Everybody wanted Josh Hader. The San Diego Padres were already decimated by the defection of Juan Soto to the Yankees, and every team in baseball was sniffing around their premier reliever. While heavily sought out by the Orioles, the Mets, the Dodgers, the Rangers, and even the Evil Empire themselves, it looks like it is the Houston Astros who have taken home the prize.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the other Texas club has agreed terms with Hader to the tune of a five-year, $95 million contract with no deferrals, making this the highest value contract for a relief pitcher in baseball History.

And Hader is worth every penny of it.

Spending two seasons in San Diego, Hader is arguably the best port-side reliever in the game, posting a 2.60 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP on the back of a devastating sinker-slider combination. His 15.0 Ks per nine innings is the highest in history.

The deal has a full no-trade clause and contains no opt-outs or options, seeing Hader bring in $19 million annually plus an extra $1 million for winning the Reliever of the Year Award, something that he has done in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

The Astros have not yet confirmed the details.