Padres News: Columnist Predicts Big Payday for SD's Lefty Closer

Josh Hader is set to rake in the money this offseason.

Things haven gone according to plan for the San Diego Padres this season.

They've grappled with a variety and injuries and good old mediocrity this year, currently sit two games under .500, and are three games back from the final wild card spot in the NL.

That isn't to say all things have been gloomy in San Diego, uncharacteristic weather aside.

Gary Sanchez has rediscovered his old form as a Padre and Josh Hader has been one of the best closers in MLB this season.

He's thrown up a 1.37 ERA on the year with 16 saves, and has helped turn the Padres bullpen into more of a lockdown unit, in sharp contrast to last season.

Hader's work to date has led Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller to predict he'll be very well compensated this offseason, making the case that he's gone toe to toe with one of the sport's best closers in the last few years along the way.

Dating back to the start of 2018, Hader and [Edwin] Díaz have put up eerily similar numbers. The current Met has been worth 9.4 fWAR, racking up 153 saves with a 2.88 ERA, a 15.34 K/9 and a 1.02 WHIP, while the current Padre has been worth 9.4 fWAR with 147 saves, a 2.70 ERA, a 15.36 K/9 and a 0.91 WHIP.

Hader has truly been a lockdown pitcher for the Friars and looks like he's fully rebounded from his poor 2022 form.

He split last season between the Brewers and the Padres and things took a turn for the worse for Hader in San Diego.

In 19 appearances for San Diego in 2022, Hader put up a ghastly 7.31 ERA and looked far from his All Star self in his first season in the west.

He's engineered quite the turnaround in 2023, and that turnaround sees Hader getting a five-year, $105 million contract according to Miller, which would eclipse Diaz record-setting $102 million deal he signed this past offseason.

And based on what Hader's provided the Padres this season, it seems a contract like that is well earned.