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One of the best relievers in baseball is officially off the market. All-Star closer Josh Hader reportedly agreed to a five-year, $95 million deal with the Houston Astros on Friday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. He was ranked No. 9 on Yahoo Sports' list of this winter's top 25 free agents.
The contract, which is the largest for a relief pitcher in baseball history by present-day value, does not contain financial deferrals, according to Passan.
With the move, the Astros pick up the best reliever in baseball the past seven seasons and bolster an already strong bullpen. Since Hader made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, he has posted the highest fWAR among MLB relievers. In his career, Hader, a lefty, has a 2.50 ERA over 388 2/3 innings and has struck out 648 batters.
Committing major resources to a closer is always a risky bet, but Hader has a strong track record of dominance and consistency. Aside from 2022, when he posted a 5.22 ERA in 50 innings, Hader has posted an ERA better than league average in every season that he has pitched in the majors.
Can Hader remain effective after a strong 2023?
Hader bounced back from that 5.22 ERA in spectacular fashion, posting a 1.28 ERA over 56 1/3 innings with the San Diego Padres in 2023, a performance far more in line with the overall numbers he has put up in his career. He has been an All-Star in five of his seven seasons in the majors and won the NL reliever of the year award three times.
Hader's 2023 bounce-back came with one significant warning sign, however, as his average fastball velocity declined by more than a full mile-per-hour last season. He averaged 97.4 mph on the pitch in 2022, and that dropped to 96.1 mph in 2023. Despite the velocity loss, the pitch was actually more effective, and batters hit just .190 against Hader's fastball in 2023. If the lowered fastball velocity was a strategic move by Hader, the decline is less worrisome. Generally, though, it's not a good sign when a closer with elite velocity starts to lose a few ticks on his fastball.
Hader was the best reliever available on the market
There's always some volatility to reliever performance year over year, but Hader is a good bet to remain effective in the short term even if he experiences some decline. His strikeout numbers were still strong last season, and the velocity decline didn't affect his performance.
At 29, Hader was also the safest elite reliever on the market. David Robertson and Robert Stephenson are the next-best relievers available.
Because of that, signing Hader was always going to require a multi-year commitment. This move by the Astros comes with risk — all reliever signings do — but Hader's recent track record suggests he'll remain a dominant pitcher, at least in the near term.
Daniel Weinman was crowned winner of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Monday, taking home a record breaking $12.1 million in winnings. Weinman had to outlast the other 10,043 entrants to take home the prize and get his hands on his share of live poker’s largest ever prize pool – a staggering $93,399,900. As well as taking home the prize money, 35-year-old Weinman also got his hands on the WSOP Main Event bracelet. The huge bracelet contains 500 grams of 10-karat yellow gold, as well as 2,352 various precious gemstones.
Daniel Weinman won the World Series of Poker's main event world championship on Monday in Las Vegas, earning $12.1 million along the way. Playing in the tournament for a 16th year, Weinman was tops in a deep pool of 10,043 players vying for $93.39 million. His victory came after just 164 hands at the final table. "I was honestly on the fence about even coming back and playing this tournament," the 35-year-old Atlanta native told reporters afterward. Weinman's final table featured Jan-Peter Jachtmann, who landed in fourth place and took home $3 million, as well as Toby Lewis, who finished seventh and secured $1.42 million. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the main event's entry pool far outpaced the previous record of 8,773 set in 2006. "I've always kind of felt that poker was kind of going in a dying direction, but to see the numbers at the World Series this year has been incredible," Weinman said. "And to win this main event, it doesn't feel real. I mean, [there's] so much luck in a poker tournament. I thought I played very well." Steven Jones finished second, securing $6.5 million. And Adam Walton settled for third and a $4 million prize.
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