The winter meetings are slowly crawling up while MLB deals with a prospect-heavy free agency set abuzz by innumerous contract rumors. From among the players with a proven past emerges another slugger with his mind set to a certain record-breaking goal. Josh Hader, a former San Diego Padres member, has his eyes fixed on getting a deal that just might be the biggest one received by a relief pitcher to date.

Should Hader’s aspirations materialize, it would surpass the Mets’ landmark deal from the previous year. The question now arises: How probable is it for Hader to secure this dream contract?

Josh Hader: Rewriting Mets History

Back in November 2022, the Mets got Edwin Díaz to sign a $102 million contract for a term of five years. It was right before the free agency market opened up for that season. A year and a month later, MLB insiders expect Hader to receive a similar term with an offer that is increased by a couple of million—or ten, maybe?

“Well, certainly, he is the best free agent in the market, and that’s not even a competition,” Feinsand said on MLB Network.“He’s the number one closer out there. For teams looking to add that lockdown guy in the ninth, he’s your option. There are some other guys…but he’s the only one you look to sign a long-term deal.”

Feinsand added, “People are expecting he will sign a deal to eclipse Edwin Diaz’s five-year, $102 million contract last year, which is the highest ever for a closer.” In line with Feinsand’s coverage, MLB Trade Rumors anticipated Hader’s contract to reach an unprecedented six-year, $110 million agreement. Does he fare well compared to Diaz’s stats at the time of his draft? The stats set by Josh Hader this season demand nothing but the same.

Hader’s career record of 2.50 ERA is lower than Díaz’s 2.93. It is to be noted that Hader’s fastball velocity of 96.1 this year saw a slight decline from the previous year’s 97.4 mph. He balanced it out by upping his walk rate to a career-high of 13% from the previous 9.6%. There are quite a few teams that find that combination threatening.

In simpler words, Hader is at the peak of his career—or at least he’s well on his way towards it. His hard hits ranked around 97% this season. Not only that, his expected BA of .157 was the lowest in the majors in a minimum of a thousand pitches. Has Hader set any other records this year that will help him get the highest possible deal from the contending clubhouses?

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The modern baseball era reportedly started back in 1901. Hader’s record of striking out 15 per nine innings (across a minimum of 300 innings) against an at-bat with approximately .156 BA is the highest of this era to date. It remains to be seen whether he will throw longer outings once he proclaims his new deal.

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