Is Hader Still A Brewer?
Yes. Josh Harder is Still a Brewer.
Hader is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility in 2023. After converting 34 of 35 saves with a 1.23 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 102:24 K: BB over 58.2 innings last season, the left-hander is expected to close for Milwaukee once again in 2022.
Josh Hader’s name has been mentioned in trade speculations over the past two years, and while the Milwaukee Brewers aren’t keen to get rid of the 2020 National League saves leader, they aren’t dismissing the speculation either.
“According to league sources,” FanSided baseball journalist Robert Murray claimed, “the Brewers continue to listen to trade queries on Josh Hader.”
“The asking price for Hader, who the Brewers believe is the finest left-handed reliever in baseball, is ‘overwhelming.'” Hader may be the best bullpen piece in the game, according to the Brewers.
Over his four seasons in the big leagues, this long-haired cat has a 2.54 ERA and 380 strikeouts in 223 2/3 innings in 172 appearances.
Last season, his ERA was a career-low 3.79, but with one terrible appearance removed, it was only 2.00.
Hader is three seasons away from free agency and is decently priced this year, it’s understandable that the small-market Brewers will demand the sun, moon, Saturn, and Mars in exchange.
The Yankees can make a compelling offer without emptying their farm system, which lost four prospects to the Pittsburgh Pirates in last Sunday’s trade for pitcher Jameson Taillon, three of whom were ranked in the top 30 by MLB Pipeline.
After saving $9 million on Monday by moving out-of-favor reliever Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox and signing reliever Darren O’Day on Wednesday for $1.75 million, the Yankees can afford Hader’s $6.675 million salaries for 2021 and stay under the $210 luxury-tax threshold.
According to spotrac.com, the Yankees could add Hader and still have around $2.25 million to add a piece at the trade deadline.
Hader may be the missing piece in the Yankees’ championship puzzle.
Cashman had a tremendous offseason, re-signing second baseman DJ LeMahieu, signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, and dealing for Taillon, who has elite stuff, despite the fact that it took a while.