Astros sign closer Josh Hader to massive contract

The Houston Astros have signed closer Josh Hader of Millersville, Maryland to a five-year contract worth $95 million according to the Associated Press on Friday. This will mean Hader will receive an average of $19 million per year from 2024 to 2028. The Astros are the third team Hader has played for following six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2017 to 2022, and the last two seasons with the San Diego Padres in 2022 and 2023.

2023 MLB Statistics

Hader pitched 61 games for the Padres in 2023. He had a record of two wins and three losses, with 32 saves and an earned run average of 1.28. In 56 1/3 innings pitched, Hader gave up 32 hits, eight earned runs, three home runs, and 30 walks, to go along with 85 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.10.

Hader’s Two Wins

While with the Padres this past season, Hader beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on September 19 and the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on September 27. In the Padres’s win over the Rockies, Hader threw one scoreless inning, and gave up two hits. He threw to four batters, and had eight strikes and five balls in 13 pitches. In the Padres’s win over the Giants, Hader also threw one scoreless inning. He gave up one walk and had two strikeouts. Hader threw 17 pitches and had 10 strikes.

Nine times struck out the side

Nine times this past season Hader had one inning of work and struck out the side. He accomplished the feat in a 4-1 Padres win over the Atlanta Braves on April 8, in a 4-3 Padres loss to the Minnesota Twins on May 10, in a 5-1 Padres win over the New York Yankees on May 26, in a 6-3 Padres win over the Cleveland Guardians on June 13, in a 7-5 Padres loss to the Cincinnati Reds on June 30, in a 5-1 Padres win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 25, in a 4-0 Padres win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 18, in a 4-0 Padres win over the Miami Marlins on August 23, and in a 4-0 Padres win over the Giants on September 3.

Five-time MLB All-Star

Hader was an All-Star with the Brewers in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, and an All-Star with the Padres in 2023. The year Hader was not an All-Star, he would have been one. That is because there was no All-Star game in 2020. However, that year Hader led Major League Baseball with 13 saves.