MLB Rumors: Josh Hader's market, Mets in on former Yankee, Brewers trade plans

MLB Rumors: Josh Hader's demands, teams in play

It's been a very quiet offseason mainly because of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto holding up the position player and starting pitcher market. With both of these players signing on with the Dodgers, hopefully we'll see others start to sign. What Ohtani and Yamamoto did not hold up is the reliever market, yet that's been awfully quiet as well. The best reliever available is Josh Hader, and his demands might be why that market hasn't moved much.

According to former MLB GM Jim Bowden, Hader is seeking a contract north of the five-year deal worth $102 million that Edwin Diaz got from the Mets last offseason. That contract broke the record for a reliever. Bowden notes that no team has gone to that ballpark yet. While Hader is certainly one of the best relievers in baseball, it's hard to envision a team without access to Steve Cohen's wallet giving him a nine-figure deal.

While Hader doesn't appear close to signing, Bowden did reveal some teams that appear to be in play. Those teams are the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The caveat with those teams is they're all prioritizing starters. Not only is Hader's price tag out of reach, but teams don't appear super desperate to sign him.

All three of those teams make sense as a potential Hader destination with money to spend and room for him in the back of their respective bullpens, but again it's hard to envision anyone giving Hader a nine-figure deal while also coughing up the qualifying offer penalties. Anything can change at a moment's notice, but as of now, the Hader market feels very quiet.