Padres News: Josh Hader Claps Back at Reporters Following Question About Availability
Padres closer Josh Hader found himself in hot water after a fiery response to a reporter concerning his workload this late into the year.
The former Brewer refused to get four outs in his most recent outing and answered angrily when the media posed questions about his thought process after the game.
“Always four outs, isn’t it,” Hader said. “Three in a row. Always something. I mean, I’m not sure what you guys want. It’s the same thing every time."
He was then asked if it had to do with the offseason nearing and him not wanting to potentially overwork himself with his free agency coming.
"It has nothing to do with the offseason,” Hader said. “It’s health. It’s making it through a whole entire season; 162 games is not an easy task to do. And when you see guys that work overloads, they get injured. ... Hypothetically, if I could pitch seven innings I would. Hypothetically, if I could throw 105 (mph) I would. There (are) a lot of hypotheticals we could put on the table."
Questioning his preservation for a new free-agent contract despite Hader's denial is more than fair criticism considering the Padres are still alive in the playoff race — even if he doesn't think so.
Such a standoffish attitude toward his workload isn't exactly the thing you want to hear from your closer and perhaps Friars fans won't have to deal with such an attitude come winter.
The dominant closer's pitched another stellar season as one of baseball's best relievers in 2023.
Though he's earned 31 saves and struck out 81 batters across his 50-plus innings of work, the hesitance to earn the most crucial outs of the season speaks volumes about the marquee acquisition from Milwaukee.
Even if he wins another NL Reliever of the Year award due to his sparkling 1.19 ERA, Hader's exit from San Diego due to his attitude might actually benefit the clubhouse culture for 2024 and beyond.
