The Houston Astros weren’t the only team interested in signing great Josh Hader.
But, of course, they weren’t; it would be foolish to believe that the Astros were the All-Star’s sole possible destination.
However, now that Hader has signed a five-year, $95 million contract with Houston, reporters are digging into the chronology as part of the deal’s post-mortem.
What’s remarkable is that Hader is discussing some of the organizations that have agreed to pay him this summer.
During an interview on Foul Territory, Hader mentioned at least two of them, and they are not surprise teams: the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There were other teams interested, Hader added, but he told the show’s hosts that no club equaled the “aggressiveness” of the Astros, who ultimately got a deal done.
The Dodgers, of course, spent more than $1 billion on free agents, including two-way star Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. What would additional $100 million mean to the Dodgers in terms of bullpen stability? It’s unclear who the Dodgers’ closer will be.
The Yankees have a closer on their roster in Clay Holmes. However, after their pursuit of Ohtani and Yamamoto failed, they sought starting pitching help in Marcus Stroman and made deals to bolster the outfield with Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham.
The bullpen, at least without a high-end closer, does not appear to be a priority for either side.
It did not appear that way for the Astros until a few weeks ago. The Astros look to have been patient and aggressive in getting closer.
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Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, and the Yankees’ upcoming free agent decisions
Remember a little more than a year ago, when it appeared that Aaron Judge would not return to the Yankees? That wasn’t fun. Even the most hopeful supporters had their trust undermined, which was reasonable. The prospects for this club without Judge were poor, to say the least. Furthermore, once a player enters the market, a team can only have so much trust in acquiring his services.
The current offseason did not provide nearly as much stress. Yes, the squad had goals, huge ones, but they were all outside acquisitions, which elicited a distinct set of feelings. It’s still just February, and we have an entire season to go, but it’s always crucial to keep sight of the long-term picture. Brian Cashman faces unique hurdles, particularly in retaining some of the team’s greatest players.
In 2024, two of the Yankees’ best hitters will be entering their walk years. Barring the most extreme circumstances, Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres will be free agents in less than a year. First and foremost, we must state unequivocally that this is not about comparing Soto and Torres as players. This is a very obvious statement, but it should be said anyway. Their prospective contracts and existing status in the sport are more than adequate to distinguish their respective levels.
There is a world in which the Yankees offense returns and Torres is just one of many bats navigating a maze of a lineup, but he was one of the team’s most important run producers last year. It will be difficult to retain his services if he maintains his current level of performance, and even more difficult if the team is focused with fighting off suitors for Soto. With Judge, who clearly had an emotional attachment to the franchise and was willing to make some concessions to stay in the Bronx, the Yankees had already pushed it to the final hour. We can only foresee a scenario that will be equally challenging with Soto.
It’s difficult enough to be the top bidder in one significant free agency, let alone two in the same year. There are even closer scenarios. Consider Shohei Ohtani, for example. The Giants gave him the same contract as the Dodgers, but he preferred to live in Chavez Ravine. Did the Giants make a mistake or fail to put up enough effort? Probably neither of these.
