After a bizarre 2022 season in which he posted a 7.22 ERA after being traded to the Padres, Josh Hader re-found the form that made him the top closer in the game. 

A three-time Reliever of the Year winner, Hader posted a 1.28 ERA in 61 games for San Diego. In 56.1 innings, he allowed just 32 hits while striking out 85. These impressive stats make him a strong candidate for future MLB picks.

Now he’s a free agent, and he’s expected to be the top reliever on the market. Bookies.com veteran oddsmaker has scoured the landscape and updated his MLB odds as to Hader’s 2024 team. 

Josh Hader Next Team Odds

These odds are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect odds that may be available on legal betting apps.

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Potential Landing Spots For Josh Hader

The San Diego Padres extended a qualifying offer to Hader. As expected, it was rejected, making Hader an unrestricted free agent. With San Diego expected to slash payroll following an expensive and disastrous 2023 season, it’s unlikely they can afford to bring Hader back.

Insiders believe Hader is looking to eclipse the five-year, $102 million deal that Mets closer Edwin Diaz got - the richest for a reliever in history. It doesn’t make sense for a building team to spend that much on a closer, and even contenders with money may balk at such a figure. But it's a starting point that pushes away more than half of MLB's teams. 

We’ll start with the World Series champions. Jose Leclerc had four saves for the Texas Rangers in the postseason, including a closeout of the World Series clincher. But many of his 13 postseason appearances suggest he’s not poised to be a shutdown guy, and regular-season closer Will Smith (4.40 ERA, 22 saves) was demoted from the role for the playoffs. 

If the World Series champs have a need, it’s a back-end reliever. The Rangers managed just 30 saves in 2023, the fourth-fewest, and had even more blown saves (33), becoming the first team in MLB history to make the postseason by converting less than half its opportunities. 

If the money’s there, the Rangers give Hader a real chance to win his own ring. 

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But here come the Los Angeles Dodgers, who actually saved money by signing superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal. Back-end bullpen help wasn't a top off-season priority for the Dodgers (Evan Phillips converted 24 of 27 save opportunities), but they're clearly all-in and have the funds to make another huge move and make a strength (bullpen) even stronger. 

The New York Yankees each have money to spend, and a quest to get back to the World Series. But there is no dramatic need on the back end. In fact, the Yankees’ bullpen ranked No. 1 in MLB this season in ERA (3.34). 

Given their bullpen concerns, the Philadelphia Phillies have been penciled in as a team that should go after Hader. Craig Kimbrel had three saves in the playoffs but with a 6.00 ERA. He’s a free agent entering his Age 36 season. 

Jose Alvarado was solid in his closer moments, but moving him into that position saps depth. For an “all-in” team, Hader makes sense. The question is if Philly believes it can afford both Hader and veteran starter Aaron Nola, who the team brought back on a seven-year contract. 

The Chicago Cubs made an off-season statement by signing Craig Counsell to the biggest manager contract in history, but haven't done much of anything since. Adding Hader would show a seriousness about becoming a contender again, and they have the funds to stay in the running. 

The Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals want to prove they can compete for a postseason berth after hugely disappointing ’23 campaigns. Each team has money to spend and bottom-10 bullpens that need serious updating. 

When it comes to contenders with near blank-slate budgets, the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles have payrolls of $38 million and $30 million, respectively, the two lowest totals in MLB. 

The Orioles (101-61) earned the No. 1 overall seed in the American League but was swept out in the first round. They seem less likely to spend big than the Reds (82-80), who look poised to make another upward move after just their second winning season in the last decade. It would be a big commitment, but also a big step up and a big message sent to fans. 

The Field is loaded with teams in need of bullpen help, but at varying stages of finances or competitiveness. That includes the Orioles, Reds, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs. 

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