The Houston Astros and Josh Hader have finalized their agreement with the reliever pitcher signing a $95 million, 5-year deal.
Josh Hader's contract with his new team is the highest ever for a reliever in the history of Major League Baseball.
The 29-year-old was among the few remaining All-Star level free agents last week. He last played for the San Diego Padres after signing a one-year, $14.1 million contract with the Padres without salary arbitration.
He finished the 2023 season with a 33 SV (tied for 8th in the league), 1.28 ERA, and 1.10 WHIP.
His best month was in April when he was named NL Player of the Month after recording ten saves and holding opposing batters to a .093 batting average.
The Astros found an ace for the next five years. Here's a breakdown of Josh Hader's contract.
1. Hader's contract and salary
Hader is set to receive $19 million annually until 2029. None of this is deferred. The deal also includes a no-trade provision.
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If he ever wins the Mariano Rivera/Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award, he is set for a $1 million bonus.
The contract was less than $10 million short of breaking Edwin Díaz's $102 million, five-year contract with the New York Mets last year.
2. What will be his role for the team?
The organization remains mum on how they will use Hader. His arrival could relegate Ryan Pressly to a setup job in a bullpen.
"We signed here to win baseball games, to win a championship," Hader said when asked if he would be the Astros' new closer.
"I think like Dana said, Ryan's in the same boat and we're all in the same boat to do whatever we can and win ballgames and take it to the final step."
His arrival also means Matt Gage's role will change. Gage, who joined the Astros last year, played just five times last season and spent most of the year with the Triple-A Sugar Land, posting a 4.58 ERA in 34 appearances.
3. The new manager likes this move
The Houston Astros are entering a new era after Dusty Baker, now in a special assistant role with the San Francisco Giants, retired from coaching last season.
Former bench coach Joe Espada takes over for Baker and is thrilled with the newest addition.
"Adding someone like Josh to our team, an already elite team, puts us a step closer to achieving our goals, which is winning, which is getting back to the World Series," he said. "Today's a big day for Houston."
4. Astros' has more pitchers
Hader joins a roster as one of the top pitchers. He could also serve as a mentor to international signings the team made last week.
Pitchers the team signed during the international signing day are Angel Peralta and Kevin Santana from the Dominican Republic and Cristian Navarro from Panama.
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