While the Texas Rangers have attempted to upgrade their starting rotation with the addition of Tyler Mahle, their bullpen remains plagued with problems.
Texas remains in the market for a top-tier closer and could land one of the baseball's finest if the two sides can see eye-to-eye on a suitable deal. The question now turns to who else could be willing to meet the contract ramifications.
MLB.com recently predicted the "best fit" for the top free agents still available and suggested closer Josh Hader best fits the Rangers over another contender in the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"In stark contrast to what they did in the past two offseasons, the Rangers have largely remained in the background since they won it all in November. If the club does make one big expenditure in the coming weeks, though, Hader makes as much sense as anyone (assuming Montgomery isn’t a realistic option due to his price tag). Texas may have overcome its bullpen woes during its run to a World Series title, but we can’t overlook the fact that it had more blown saves than successful conversions in the regular season and saw both Will Smith and Aroldis Chapman drop off the roster at the start of free agency." - MLB.com
Hader regained his All-Star form in his first full season with San Diego, recording 33 saves with a 1.29 ERA. The left-hander has been one of baseball's top closers since his debut in 2017.
In seven seasons, Hader has an 86.5% save ratio (165-to-190) in 388.2 innings pitched with a 2.50 ERA. He's recorded more than 100 strikeouts in three seasons, most recently in 2021.
Hader wants to be paid like a premier closer. According to reports, the 29-year-old is looking for a contract above the five-year, $102 million contract that Edwin Díaz signed with the Mets last offseason.
Few teams will front that amount for cash for any pitcher, let alone a closer. Texas is one of several teams that could afford to give Hader an annual salary somewhere in that ballpark, even if the years differ from the asking price.
The Dodgers seem to be interested in nearly every free agent despite already spending $1.5 billion to sign Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto while also trading for and extending Rays' ace Tyler Glasnow.
Hader isn't the only pitcher Texas seems to be interested in, either. The Rangers remain in the hunt to bring back left-hander Jordan Montgomery, but the market is booming for the 31-year-old after a dominant postseason.
More must-reads: