"Sometimes you have to protect yourself" - Astros reliever Josh Hader on the limits he sets to avoid injury
Renowned closer Josh Hader certainly took his time looking for a deal this offseason. Despite being regarded as one of the best relief arms in the game, it was January before the free agent finally agreed to a deal.
Although many originally believed that the protracted free agency was a result of Hader looking to maximize contract value, a recent piece in ESPN points to the contrary.
Per writer Buster Olney, Josh Hader's self-imposed one-inning rule was a deal-breaker. From 2019 until 2022, the left-hander didn't pitch more than one inning in a given game. According to the Maryland-native, this measure was designed to avoid injury, telling Olney:
"From the outside looking in, some people would say it's selfish; some people feel like players should do what they're told. But if I get hurt, I'm not able to work. Sometimes you have to protect yourself."
Eventually, Hader agreed to terms on a five-year, $95 million deal with the Houston Astros, ostensibly with that stipulation in mind. However, that exhalted rule was recently called into question when Hader made his first-multi inning appearance in years.
On April 30, Hader came out of the Astros bullpen to face the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning. With the game tied at 8-8, the Astros would have a chance to win in the bottom of the inning. However, when the game remained scoreless into the 10th, Josh Hader took to the mound for his first multi-inning performance since September of 2019.
Despite his valuable contract, Josh Hader has uncharacteristically struggled this season. In 21 appearances, the 30 year-old is 3-3 with a 3.91 ERA. For comparison, Hader finished the 2023 season with a 1.28 ERA as a member of the San Diego Padres.
"Blue Jays down to their last out vs. Josh Hader...DAVIS SCHNEIDER SAVES THE DAY WITH A 109 MPH NUKE" - Aram Leighton
Josh Hader doubles down on belief that he is an exclusive closer
While some have branded Hader's guidelines for himself as selfish to the detriment of his team, the closer believes that his ability to get saves defines him as a player. In fact, Hader recently told Sports Illustrated about his past free agency:
"What I heard in that room was how they valued relievers, and it was 100 percent based on saves."
While Josh Hader has certainly put up a good career as a reliver, it remains to be seen whether or not his golden rule will come into question again.