All-Star Closer Josh Hader Inks Massive Contract With Houston Astros

Hader was the top free agent reliever on the market, coming off another All-Star campaign with the San Diego Padres in 2023. Since making his major league debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, Hader has a 2.50 ERA, 0.944 WHIP, 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings and 165 saves under his belt.

The 29-year-old left-hander was looking to break the record for the largest contract ever signed by a closer, but he came up just short. The New York Mets gave Edwin Diaz a five-year, $102 million contract last offseason.

Hader is a five-time All-Star and three-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award winner, making him the one most decorated active closers. He went 2-3 with a 1.28 ERA, 1.101 WHIP, 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings, 33 saves and a 2.4 WAR in 2023.

The Astros were not considered to be in the market for Hader until very recently, when veteran set-up man Kendall Graveman was ruled out for the 2024 with a shoulder injury. Even though they already had All-Star right-hander Ryan Pressly in-house, Houston apparently wasn't ready to put all of its late-inning work on one arm.

Between Hader and Pressly, the Astros now boast one of the highest-profile one-two bullpen punches in all of baseball – one left and one righty. Right-hander Bryan Abreu, who posted a 1.75 ERA in 2023, remains on the roster as well.

Houston's 2024 payroll is now projected to exceed the competitive luxury tax threshold of $237 million.