Houston Astros sign closer Josh Hader on a 5-year, $95 million deal

The Houston Astros have reached a five-year, $95 million contract with free agent closer Josh Hader, ESPN reported on Friday.

The deal includes full no-trade protection, no opt-outs or options, and no deferrals, thus becoming the biggest contract for a relief pitcher in terms of present-day value. It beats Edwin Diaz's five-year, $102 million deal that includes $26.5 million in deferred money.

Hader played in the Astros' minor league system between 2013 and 2015 before making his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017. He has been selected for the All-Star Game in five of the seasons and the All-MLB First Team three times since then. He was the National League (NL) saves leader in 2020 and won the NL Reliever of the Year award three times.

Having pitched in 61 games for the San Diego Padres with a 2-3 record last season, Hader posted an earned run average of 1.28 with 33 saves and 85 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings. He reached a career 15.0 strikeout-per-nine rate, the highest in history among those who pitched in at least 50 innings.

With Hader's arrival, the Astros, who have never missed the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in the past seven seasons, reached the World Series four times and won two of them, now look at a star-laden back end of their bullpen. He will join Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero for closer duty, so the team won't miss Kendall Graveman too much. Graveman underwent shoulder surgery and will miss the whole 2024 season.

Signing Hader may also be a hit for the Astros' division rivals, the Texan Rangers, who beat the Astros 4-3 in the ALCS last season. According to ESPN, the Rangers have been interested in landing him during the offseason.