Josh Hader Rumors: Former Padres Closer Reportedly Drawing Interest From AL Powerhouse

Where will the left-hander land for next season?

The market for former San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader has been fairly quiet this entire offseason. He has been linked with a few teams, but nothing has come close to being done.

Hader has been looking for a record contract that would break the five-year, $102 million deal Edwin Diaz signed with the New York Mets. But, so far, no team has been willing to go near that mark.

Hader was great for San Diego last season, posting an ERA of 1.28 and a WHIP of 1.10.

Most organizations are skeptical about handing out large free-agent deals to relief pitchers, no matter how dominant they have been. Relievers can be very fickle when it comes to their performance, thus the hesitancy.

However, it seems one American League powerhouse team is pushing to land Hader. That would be the Houston Astros, who could use him to ensure they have a reliable arm at the end of games.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome reported on the interest from Houston.

"They are trying to sign free agent Josh Hader, who is considered perhaps the best closer in the game. The Astros are making a push for Hader, according to sources briefed on their discussions."

Per Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic

Landing Hader could be a game-changer for the Astros, and he would serve them well. He has been one of the best closers around baseball for years, and Houston may want to make a splash to counteract some of the moves around the league this winter.

"The addition of Hader would significantly reinforce the Astros’ bullpen at a time they are dealing with the loss of right-handed setup man Kendall Graveman, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last week."



Per Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic

San Diego fans would much rather have Hader head to the American League, so this would be an okay move for them. Hader was dominant with the Padres last season and now could be making his way to the state of Texas.