Astros Rumors: Houston intensifying pursuit of Josh Hader

This is certainly an intriguing development!

Drew Koch

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) throws a pitch / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Finally! While a deal isn't done, at least it appears as though the Houston Astros have awaken from their offseason slumber and are finally getting serious about upgrading the team's bullpen.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) is reporting that the Astros are making a push for Josh Hader. Rosenthal mentions that the Astros had initially shown interest in Hader at last year's trade deadline. The All-Star closer spent most of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, but played the last one and-a-half seasons with the San Diego Padres.

Needless to say that this would be a tremendous upgrade for an Astros bullpen that has seen free agent departures and injuries already this offseason. Phil Maton, Hector Neris, and Ryne Stanek are all unsigned, but little traction toward a reunion has been made thus far. Just this past week, the team revealed that Kendall Graveman would miss the entire 2024 season following shoulder surgery.

Astros Rumors: Houston intensifying pursuit of Josh Hader

Josh Hader is about as dominant of a pitcher as you're going to find. The left-hander made 61 appearances for the Padres in 2023 and posted a 1.28 ERA. The hard-throwing southpaw recorded 85 punch outs in just over 56 innings of work. A 36.8-percent strikeout-rate will look nice in any bullpen.

Hader is said to be seeking a deal worth over $100 million. Edwin Diaz is currently the highest-paid closer in the game after signing a five-year, $102 million contract with the New York Mets. Diaz missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury during the World Baseball Classic.

While nothing appears imminent at the moment, the simple fact that Houston is pursuing the most coveted free agent reliever on the market has to make the Astros' fanbase very happy. Houston's offseason has been rather boring to this point, but adding Hader would certainly bring some excitement back to H-Town ahead of the 2024 season.

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.