Price Revealed For Josh Hader’s Free Agency Demands

For any team looking to bolster their bullpen with arguably the best closer in the sport in recent years, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. According to MLB Network insider, and former MLB GM Jim Bowden, Josh Hader is looking for the biggest contract for a reliever in baseball history.

Josh Hader is looking for a contract bigger than Edwin Diaz's 5-year, $102M deal, per @JimBowdenGM pic.twitter.com/vy16Pd31wB
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 28, 2023

Bowden’s sources tell him that Hader is looking for a deal that would surpass Edwin Diaz’s contract with the New York Mets of five years, $102 million.

At that kind of money, there are only a few teams that would be in the running, including, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The question is, after spending over $1 billion on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto already this month, will they be prepared to shell out another nine-figure contract?

"Our own Tom Verducci has talked about the Dodgers as not being done yet. They still may make a move for Josh Hader," MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on Tuesday.

Morosi also mentions the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees as teams that could be in on the market for Hader.

The five-time All-Star, Hader is coming off a year-and-a-half run with the San Diego Padres. In 2023, he tied for eighth in the majors with 33 saves while finishing with a 1.28 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 56.1 innings of work.

Hader has collected 165 saves in his seven-season big league career, compiling a 2.50 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP, along with a ridiculous 15 strikeouts per nine innings.

Photo: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports