Josh Hader has won the NL Reliever of the Year award in three of the past five seasons, and could be on a pace to win it again in 2023. The San Diego Padres closer, who will make his fifth All-Star Game appearance on July 11, owns a 1.11 ERA as the All-Star break looms. 

But he’s also a pricey closer on a Padres team that’s going to hit the break deep in fourth place in the NL Central and well out of the Wild Card race. A team bought to win isn’t winning, and the Padres could be enticing sellers at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. 

Bookies.com veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson has revealed his hypothetical MLB odds as to where Hader is playing his home games for the stretch run of the 2023 season. 

Josh Hader Next Team After Trade Deadline Odds

Odds are projected and do not reflect any odds that may be available at legal betting sites or betting apps.

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Potential Landing Spots For Josh Hader

The Padres own the third-highest payroll in MLB. But like the top-ranked New York Mets, the Pads haven’t gotten much bang for the buck. The biggest issue has been the offense. Despite names such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts in the order, the Padres rank in the bottom-half in scoring and average. 

Reports are conflicting as to how serious the Padres would be in moving Hader. USA Today reports the Padres “are expected” to part ways with Hader, while MLB Network Radio believes the Padres believe they can still make a run in August and beyond. 

Pitching has been OK, and Hader has been downright elite. He’s also in the final year of a contract, making him an enticing rental for a contender in need of a backend difference-maker. 

Over the last month, two contending teams – both division leaders – stand out as squads with bullpens that rank in the bottom 12 of baseball. The Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles are in a buying mood, and both should view Hader as a massive upgrade for a rare postseason stretch runs. 

So, too, should be the Los Angeles Angels, who must try and figure out how to remain in the hunt in the AL hunt without Mike Trout (hand) for most of the remainder of the regular season. 

L.A. hasn’t made the postseason since 2014. For Baltimore and Texas the last trip was 2016. The Rangers, Angels and Orioles rank 19th, 20th and 24th, respectively, in bullpen ERA over the last 30 days. If the Padres make Hader available, a bidding war could erupt between the AL up-and-comers. 

The Atlanta Braves have already pulled away in the competitive NL East. But there are at least two teams with strong wild card aspirations. The Miami Marlins are rarely buyers, but the Philadelphia Phillies are. Their payroll ranks No. 4 and with the taste of last year’s World Series runner-up finish still fresh, they wouldn’t hesitate to get Hader and bolster a bullpen. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks lead the NL West and might be the surprise team of baseball. The Padres would likely need an extraordinary deal to move their star closer to a divisional rival. 

The Field includes other contenders who may push to get Hader at the deadline, including the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. 

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