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 revealed 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.

Bet $5 on any Money line, Get $150 in Bonus Bets IF YOUR TEAM WINS

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 45 Times Today

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.

It doesn’t make sense for a building team to spend that much on a closer. But contenders with money will likely make a call. 

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. 

It’s early in the process, but the Rangers appear to be the most aggressive team in pursuing Hader. If the money’s there, the Rangers give Hader as good a chance as any to win his own ring. 

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 22 Times Today

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 they can afford both Hader and Aaron Nola, who the team just inked to a seven-year extension. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees each have money to spend, and a quest to get back to the World Series. But neither has a dramatic need on the back end. In fact, the Yankees’ bullpen ranked No. 1 in MLB this season in ERA (3.34), while the Dodgers ranked third. 

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. The Reds (82-80) 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 Atlanta Braves won 104 games last year but fell short of their goals, losing to the rival Phillies in an NL Divisional Series. Raisel Iglesias was solid as the closer, but adding Hader builds a premier back-end bullpen. 

The Boston Red Sox, meanwhile, ranked in the bottom-half of bullpen production and closer Kenley Jansen is 36. Boston is motivated to get out of the AL East cellar. 

The Field is loaded with teams in need of bullpen help, but at varying stages of finances or competitiveness. That includes the Padres, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. 

Bet $5 on any Money line, Get $150 in Bonus Bets IF YOUR TEAM WINS

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 28 Times Today