Now that Houston Astros fans have had some time to process the Josh Hader signing and the initial excitement has passed, they may be feeling a bit of buyer's remorse. Did the Astros really just spend $95 million on a relief pitcher? A guy who hasn't thrown 60 innings in a season since 2019?
They sure did. And that's okay, at least according to MLB insider Tom Verducci.
In a recent interview on MLB Now with Brian Kenny, the longtime journalist made a reassuring Hader comparison that Houston fans will absolutely love.
Verducci compared Hader to former Astros great Billy Wagner, who just fell five votes short of the Hall of Fame.
"I think (Hader) has the numbers to deserve this contract that's analogous to the (Edwin) Diaz deal," Verducci said. "He's been that good for that long, and he's a guy I think you look at as a repeater. To me, his comp is the guy we talked about earlier -- Billy Wagner."
Verducci went on to explain that Hader actually has better numbers through his age-29 season than Wagner did, including more strikeouts per inning and a lower ERA. It's a fair comparison given that both are hard-throwing lefty relievers.
If Hader ends up having the career that Wagner did, Houston fans will be thrilled. Wagner spent nearly a decade with the Astros, making three All-Star teams and building the foundation for a Cooperstown-caliber career.
A key difference is that Wagner started his career with Houston and departed midway through, whereas Hader has already played for two teams before arriving in Texas. Wagner grew into a dominant reliever with the Astros, whereas Hader's coming in as an established star.
If Hader keeps it up and has a strong half-decade with Houston (if not more), he might have a case for Cooperstown someday, too.
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