The Padres deal for Josh Hader has been brushed aside, hidden under the rug, as an unimportant part of the Juan Soto trade. The trade was one of the most surprising. The Brewers didn't expect to trade Hader away during their pursuit of a fifth straight playoff spot and third division title. Despite their standing in the NL Central, the Brewers moved the closer to the full time role and shipped the saves leader to California.
What's the reason? Was it really worth it? I know Hader isn't having his best season, but prior to his two appearances on July 13 and 15 at Minnesota and San Francisco, Hader had a 1.82 earned run average and 52 strikeouts across 29.2innings. That would be the second-best of his career and right on par with where his strikeouts have been over the last half-decade. There were some troubling statistics. He had never dipped under 100 in his career. His rate was three times higher than that of his opponent. His hard-hit percentage was the second-highest of his career, but despite all that, his expectedERA was still 3.30, a more than respectable figure, and definitely not something that would warrant being traded away.
The Brew Crew gave up on Hader after those two outings. Why swap him if not? Hader has been an incredible set-up man for both Jeremy Jeffress andCorey Knebel. You will never know if Hader is a good fit for that role until you trade him away in the middle of a playoff run.
The Brewers are three games ahead of the Cards at the moment. The Brewers weren't making moves, but they were making cuts. Milwaukee was playing for a wild-card spot with this move, as their top competitor in their division was vying for a division title.
The benefit of the doubt is given to Milwaukee. The package the Padres offered may have been too good to pass up.
Taylor Rogers had a good stretch from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, but his saves count is the only stat that sticks out for him. His strikeout-to-walk ratio has plummeted in the years since. There weren't many good signs pointing his way. He doesn't have Hader's skills. In 2020, Dinelson Lamet showed flashes of greatness, only to struggle with injuries in 2021. and fight a losing battle with inconsistency when given the chance to play in 2022. He is seen as nothing more than a relief pitcher with some potential at this time. The prospects were at the center of the trade. Both of the players should be ready for the Majors by the year 2024. This is a good deal but not great. The Padres didn't have to give up anyone who could've become a piece in the Soto trade. That doesn't bode well for Milwaukee.
You would expect at least one top prospect to lead the Brewers. I'm not talking about a top 10. I would argue that that is no longer the case. Hader was going to be in the middle of the year. It is likely that the Brewers could have re-signed Hader for less than his current $11 million salary if they moved him out of the closer role completely. The Brewers could have retained Hader for the playoffs and re-signed him to a friendlier contract, which would have drawn more attention from teams looking for a reliable closer. They could've gotten a bigger haul.
The team in a position to win a division title is giving up a piece of their relief. Even though the closer position isn't as important as it used to be, ask any Dodgers fan if they think having a reliable bullpen is important. They wouldn't bring Kenley back. They brought on Craig Kimbrel to replace him so that he wouldn't fall apart like the MCU. When the Brewers parted ways with one of the best southpaws in the game, the importance of bullpens became even more important.
Milwaukee got worse with this deal, even though it was decent. It's heartbreaking to see a team with one of the best pitching staffs in baseball make a trade like this. I would feel better about their position if they had made more big trades. The game-changer Milwaukee needs to stay atop the NL Central is not Matt Bush. The big move for Soto was not made by the Cards, but they did get a reliable left-handed arm in José Quintana. They improved in an area where they needed help. Can't say the same for Milwaukee, and I wouldn't be surprised if this move comes back to bite them.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
