Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical.
Hader will get a $19 million salary in each of the next five seasons, none of it deferred. He gets a full no-trade provision and would receive a $1 million bonus for winning the Mariano Rivera/Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award.
Hader's deal can be considered the most lucrative for a relief pitcher, even while falling short of the total dollars in Edwin Díaz’s $102 million, five-year contract with the New York Mets that began last year. Díaz’s deal includes $26.5 million in deferred payments he won’t completely receive until 2042 and was valued at $93.2 million for baseball's luxury tax and $88.8 million by the players' association.
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A 29-year-old with long, flowing hair, Hader returns to the Astros organization after spending two years in their minor league system from mid-2013 through mid-2015. He figures to take over as closer and push Ryan Pressly back to a setup role in a bullpen that also includes Rafael Montero and Bryan Abreu.
Héctor Neris became a free agent and remains unsigned. Houston reached the agreement three days after announcing reliever Kendall Graveman will miss the season after right shoulder surgery.
Hader became a free agent for the first time last fall after turning down a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from San Diego, which acquired him in a deadline trade from Milwaukee in 2022. Hader made $14.1 million last year.
He was 2-3 with a 1.28 ERA and 33 saves in 38 chances for San Diego in 61 appearances last season, striking out 85 and walking 30 in 56 1/3 innings. He disappointed in his Padres debut season with a 7.31 ERA and seven saves over 19 games down the stretch.
Carpenter returns to Cardinals
ST. LOUIS — Matt Carpenter is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing Friday to a one-year contract with his team from 2011-21.
Carpenter agreed to a deal for the $740,000 major league minimum, which will be offset against his guaranteed $5.5 million salary as part of a $12 million, two-year contract he signed with San Diego in December 2022.
"When you think of players that helped shape our success in the 2000s, Matt Carpenter’s name is one that is synonymous with winning,” Cardinals president of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said in a statement. “Matt showed from the very beginning of his career how hard work and determination can lead to success, and we are excited to have his leadership and experience back in a Cardinals uniform.”
A first baseman and occasional outfielder, Carpenter was traded to Atlanta last month along with $1.5 million, then released by the Braves three days later. In effect, Carpenter costs the Braves $3.26 million, the Padres $1.5 million and the Cardinals $740,000.
Carpenter was an All-Star in 2013, ’14 and ’16. He has .260 career average with 175 homers and 644 RBIs for the Cardinals, Yankees and Padres. He hit .176 with five homers and 31 RBIs but had just 50 at-bats from July 1 on. Carpenter didn’t play after Sept. 10 because of right elbow inflammation.
BRIEFLY
YANKEES: Jeter Downs’ career with the New York Yankees could end before it started. Downs was designated for assignment Friday, one month after the Yankees claimed the 25-year-old shortstop off waivers from the Washington Nationals. The Yankees needed the roster spot after claiming infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the Mets.
