Dodgers Showed Interest in Free Agent All-Star Closer Before Signing With Rival, He Says

This would have been almost unfair for the rest of the league.

Did Josh Hader almost end up a Dodger?

The multi-time All-Star is arguably the best reliever in baseball at the moment. Over the last few years, he starred for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres as a nearly unhittable left-handed machine. 

When hitting free agency, a host of teams were reportedly pursuing him. Chief among them, the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a need for a natural closer, it only made sense that L.A. would check in to see if Hader had an interest in playing for the ball club. 

In an interview on Foul Territory, Hader was asked about the other teams involved in his free agency journey. While Hader did ink a multi-year deal with the Houston Astros, he did offer this intriguing nugget: 

"There were a few good teams. There were a lot of teams that were competitive. Ultimately, we were looking for teams that were very competitive. We wanted to go win a World Series. The Dodgers were one of them. They were in the room, but never fully stepped in. The Yankees were talking...but it never came through."

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Josh Hader on his free agency via Foul Territory

"There were a lot of teams that were competitive"

Josh Hader says the @Dodgers and @Yankees were among the teams that had interest in him, but nothing really came from it.

▶️ https://t.co/2zSi2zNlS3 pic.twitter.com/prDfB8XvKd

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 8, 2024

To be fair to the Dodgers, L.A. committed more than a billion dollars to a handful of free agents during this period. Hader was more of a luxury than a necessity considering the returning talent in the Dodgers' bullpen. 

Hader would've been a terrific fit for the team as a left-handed closer. The Dodgers are still rumored to be in the market for a back-of-the-bullpen arm. With that said, at the very least, Hader's decision to sign with an American League team is much preferred rather than seeing him end up in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Arizona, or with another National League club.