Josh Hader Hits Free Agency, Texas Rangers Free to Sign Top Closer

Josh Hader turned down San Diego's qualifying offer, opening the door for the Texas Rangers to go after the closer in free agency.

The Texas Rangers know they have to upgrade their bullpen, and that could include going after a closer.

Fortunately, one is now fully available, as former San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader turned down his qualifying offer, which would have paid him a guaranteed $20.325 million in 2024.

While the Padres will get draft pick compensation depending upon which team signs Hader, the Rangers are a team that has a clear need at the end of their bullpen.

Free-agent closer Josh Hader has been selected to the All-Star Game five times / © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Texas has been rumored to be a serious contender for Hader’s services. 

The Rangers were 27th in MLB with 30 saves last season. Worse, the Rangers had 63 opportunities. They had more blown saves than saves in 2023, and they not only became the first team to make the playoffs with that sort of upside-down percentage (less than 50 percent), they also won the World Series.

The Rangers picked up José Leclerc’s contract option for 2024, but he only had four regular-season saves. Their saves leader, Will Smith, is a free agent. He had 22.

Hader, considered the best closer on the free-agent market, could be the answer. But the Rangers would have to pay. He and his agent are reportedly trying to beat the five-year, $102 million deal that New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz got last offseason.

Hader turned into a bullpen star in 2018, when he became an All-Star for the first time as he went 6-1 with a 2.43 ERA and racked up 12 saves.

Since then, Hader has gone to four more All-Star Games, including in 2023, and has gone 20-21 with a 2.50 ERA and 165 saves.

The Rangers aren’t set in their starting rotation, but they have a good start with pitcher under contract in Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning. Jacob deGrom might be back at some point in 2024 from Tommy John surgery. The Rangers hope to re-sign left-hander Jordan Montgomery.

By getting Hader, he could give the Texas rotation, any way it looks, a lot of security in 2024.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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