MLB Insider Links 3 Teams to All-Star Closer Josh Hader, But Not the Padres

Hader seems all but gone this winter.

San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader is entering free agency this winter, and he is expected to receive one of the biggest deals this offseason. He put together a special year with San Diego in 2023, but he isn't expected to return to the Padres.

San Diego is looking to shed salary this offseason, and they don't want to commit long-term money to a bullpen piece.  MLB insider Jon Morosi has linked Hader to three teams, with none of them being the Padres unsurprisingly. 

He has the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies all listed as potential teams for the closer.

“If you’re the Cubs, and if you believe you’ve got the makings of a World Series team this year, and/or you believe you want to build out a club that Shohei Ohtani looks at and says, ‘Hey, I want to play at Wrigley Field,’ signing Josh Hader would make you more of a World Series contender and certainly would improve your status in the Shohei sweepstakes as well,” Morosi said Wednesday on MLB Network.

Per Jon Morosi via MLB Network

The Cubs are the sleeper team here, especially given their pursuit of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Signing Hader would signal to Ohtani that they are serious about winning, and maybe he agrees to sign there.

Chicago just brought in Craig Counsell to be their new manager, and they feel like a team ready to spend. Keep an eye out on the Cubs in the Hader sweepstakes.

Hader has been linked with the Rangers for some time now, and he would help them shore up their bullpen. But adding Hader to the team that just won the World Series may be a little unfair to the rest of the league.

The Phillies make some sense, but they have spent heavily the last few offseasons. They remain an option but are likely behind Texas and Chicago.