The Milwaukee Brewers have made Josh Hader available in trade talks, so here’s why they need to find a partner this winter.
Milwaukee Brewers GM David Stearns likes to explore all of his options when it comes to getting back a certain value for his players, and he could get a lot of value back if he can trade recently made “available” closer, Josh Hader, according to Ken Rosenthal.
Brewers fans aren’t going to be on board with my reasoning but Hader needs to be traded for two main reasons. Milwaukee needs to get something back while his value is high and he is going to command more money than they might be willing to spend.
Josh Hader has won the Reliever of the Year award the past two seasons, and those are big accolades that the Brewers can use to get a big return back.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Hader’s agents can also use that technique in contract negotiations, which would not be in the Brewers’ favor because his money would increase. And that is not ideal for a low payroll and smaller market team like the Milwaukee Brewers.
But here’s why they need to trade him sooner rather than later.
As I mentioned, Hader is one of the elite relievers in the game but he continues to give up more home runs and struggle in big games in the postseason like the NL Wild Card Game in which he gave up the game-winning hit to Juan Soto this October.
Despite Hader’s high strikeout rate, it is fair to question how much longer he is going to be the Josh Hader we know, and with Milwaukee being a lower payroll team, they aren’t going to sign big free agents so they need to acquire good players in the draft and in trades. They could get draft picks and talented players (particularly pitching) if they were to use that leverage of Hader’s recent accomplishments in trade talks with other teams.
Josh Hader is going to command a lot of money, but it is fair to debate whether he will walk the walk in terms of his big payday that will be coming soon.