Astros officially announce Josh Hader signing: 'Welcome back to Houston'
Hader, 29, was once a member of the Astros organization, reaching no higher than Double-A ball.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With Astros fans given a whole weekend to fantasize about a potent late-inning bullpen for the upcoming season, the ball club spent Monday making those dreams come true.
The Houston Astros officially introduced Josh Hader during a news conference days after he reportedly agreed to a five-year, $95 million contract with the team.
Earlier in the day, the Astros on social media posted a "Welcome back to Houston" graphic, referencing his prior stint with the organization. He was part of the Astros' farm system from 2013 to 2015, reaching no higher than Double-A Corpus Christi.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Hader's deal contains no deferrals and is the largest present-day value contract for a relief pitcher in baseball history.
Hader's deal also comes with full no-trade protection and doesn't include any opt-outs or options, a source familiar with the contract told Passan. He will be paid $19 million annually and can collect an extra $1 million for winning the Reliever of the Year Award, which he previously claimed in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
When asked whether he needs a defined role to be most comfortable, Hader mentioned the routine of a collective goal.
"When we all have the same goal in mind, you make things work," Hader told reporters. "The commitment the Astros made to me is the same commitment I'm making to them. And moving forward, we're going to do anything we can to win."
At the top of the news conference, Astros general manager Dana Brown mentioned collecting input from within the organization, most crucially from the team's current closing pitcher Ryan Pressly.
"Ryan Pressly is a true professional, and at the end of the day, he's excited about the team getting better," Brown said, adding that Hader's signing came together "very quickly."
Hader and Pressly rank second and fourth in baseball in saves since 2020 with 116 and 102 saves, respectively. The club also said the duo hold the distinction of sharing the MLB record for most consecutive scoreless appearances with 40.
Hader, who turns 30 in April, was a 19th-round selection of the Baltimore Orioles out of high school in the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft. The O's then traded him to the Astros, who later shipped him to the Milwaukee Brewers system in July 2015 in a transaction that landed Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers in Houston.
The Brewers called him up in 2017 as a 23-year-old.
His breakthrough season came in 2018 when he appeared in 55 games and struck out a career-high 143 batters. Not only did he earn his first of five All-Star nods that year, he also finished in the top seven for the National League Cy Young Award vote.
Hader played in Milwaukee into the 2022 season when his performance declined, and he was traded to the San Diego Padres midseason. However, he was instrumental in the Padres' run to the National League Championship Series. For that, the Padres signed him to a one-year, $14.1 million deal in his final arbitration-eligible year.
As part of signing Hader, the Astros also designated left-handed pitcher Matt Gage for assignment to make room for the incoming reliever.
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ESPN contributed to this story.
