Josh Hader's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that left-hander Josh Hader would be the team's closer in 2024, with right-hander Ryan Pressly serving in a late-inning setup role. "Hader will pitch the ninth inning if both guys are available," Espada said. It's no surprise that Hader will be Houston's closer after they signed him to a five-year, $95 million deal in free agency this winter, but it's now official. The 29-year-old hard-throwing left-hander is one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in the game and is now joining a strong Astros club that should give him plenty of save opportunities. Pressly will still likely pick up an occasional save or two, but his fantasy value is going to take a big hit with a permanent move to a setup role in front of Hader. With the San Diego Padres last year, Hader had a 1.28 ERA, 85 strikeouts and 33 saves in 56 1/3 innings.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada would not name a closer when reporters asked him over the weekend at the team's FanFest. This is notable as the Astros just signed closer Josh Hader to a record-breaking contract. Ryan Pressly, who locked down 31 saves for Houston last season, was the clear incumbent before the Hader signing. Conventional wisdom says that Hader will eventually be given the job given his pedigree and contract situation. The 29-year-old southpaw finished the 2023 season with a 1.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 85:30 K/BB ratio to go along with 33 saves over 56 1/3 innings with the Padres. Pressly could shift into a setup role once Hader established himself so he should still hold fantasy value in NSVH leagues.

The Houston Astros have signed Josh Hader to a historic five-year, $95 million contract. While the total sum does not surpass the five-year, $102 million deal Edwin Diaz netted from the Mets prior to the 2023 season, it is the largest present-day value contract for a reliever in MLB history as it does not contain referrals. It had been reported recently that the Astros were making a strong push for Hader and they have now landed the best free-agent relief pitcher available. The left-hander struggled in the 2022 season but delivered an eye-popping 1.28 ERA and 36.8 K%, albeit alongside a 13% BB%, across 61 appearances for the Padres in 2023, locking down 33 saves in the process. The 29-year-old owns a career 2.50 ERA across 349 career appearances, posting a 42.2% K% and 32% K-BB% along with 165 saves in that time.

Despite already having one of the best closers in postseason history in right-hander Ryan Pressly, the Houston Astros are trying to sign free-agent left-hander Josh Hader, who is considered perhaps the best closer in baseball. According to sources briefed on their discussions, the Astros are making a push for the 29-year-old southpaw who has been seeking a contract in excess of Mets closer Edwin Diaz's five-year, $102 million deal, which was the largest ever for a reliever. The addition of Hader would help boost a bullpen that won't have Kendall Graveman (shoulder) for the entire season. Houston has wanted Hader since the trade deadline in 2023, but adding him now would raise questions about how first-year manager Joe Espada would handle the closer role. If Hader is added on a huge deal, it's likely that he'd serve as the primary closer, with Pressly moving to a setup role.

The consensus in the industry is that left-handed closer Josh Hader wants to exceed the five-year, $102 million deal the New York Mets gave Edwin Diaz in November of 2022, even though Hader is entering his age-30 season and is a year older than Diaz was. But Hader has better numbers with a 2.50 career ERA and a 42.2 percent career strikeout rate. Hader also had a lower ERA in his platform season (1.28), even with a career-high 13 percent walk rate. Diaz was coming off a season in which he recorded the second-highest rate of strikeouts per nine innings in major-league history when he signed his deal. His contract also includes $26.5 million in deferrals. It means that Hader and his agent, Jeff Barry, don't need to exceed the $102 million to say they beat Diaz for the richest contract for a reliever.