Brewers trade Josh Hader to Padres

Brewers trade Josh Hader to Padres

Let the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline frenzy begin! In a shocking development Monday afternoon, the Milwaukee Brewers have traded star reliever Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres, ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report.

Passan reports that Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, the team’s No. 7 and No. 28 prospects in Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz (per MLB Pipeline) are heading back to Milwaukee, with the Brewers three games up for the division lead in the NL Central. Hader has one more year left of team control and won’t be a free agent until after the 2023 season.

The return on Josh Hader to Milwaukee is significant: left-handed closer Taylor Rogers, lefty pitching prospect Robert Gasser, outfielder Esteury Ruiz and right-hander Dinelson Lamet, sources tell ESPN. Hader will be a free agent after the 2023 season.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022

By not dealing any of their top-six prospects — Robert Hassell III, Luis Campusano, James Wood, Jackson Merrill, Eguy Rosario and Reiss Knehr — the Padres still maintain the prospects to potentially trade for Juan Soto.

Hader, meanwhile, is one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, albeit coming off a very poor July. He posted a 12.54 ERA — 13 runs in 9.1 frames — with a 2.25 WHIP and 8.16 FIP in 11 appearances last month. Granted that was bloated by a two-game span against the Twins and Giants, allowing seven hits, one walk and nine earned runs while recording one out.

Over his first 27 appearances, he pitched to a 1.05 ERA and 1.72 FIP, striking 44.3 percent of his batters across 25.2 innings while hitters slashed just .124/.196/.225. On the year, he has a 4.24 ERA (3.47 FIP) with an MLB-most 29 saves. He’s tied for third in baseball among qualified relievers in strikeout rate (41.8 K%) and K%+ (186).

Rogers, who boasts a 4.35 ERA in 42 appearances this season, is also coming off a tough, albeit unlucky July. He recorded a 9.31 ERA — with a 2.09 FIP — blowing three of his nine save opportunities. Lamet has struggled mightily in 2022, moving up-and-down between Triple-A El Paso and San Diego, sporting a 9.49 ERA and 5.07 FIP in just 13 outings with the Padres.

Ruiz has limited experience with San Diego, totaling only 27 plate appearances across 14 games, slashing .222/.222/.333. Though he’s featured solid popping in-between El Paso and Double-A San Antonio this season.

Gasser, who was a second-round selection in the 2021 draft, has only pitched in High-A this season — posting a 4.18 ERA and 3.27 FIP with good strikeout numbers (30.5 K%, 11.5 K/9) while somewhat limiting the long-ball (0.8 HR/9).

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The Brewers could still use another run producer in the order; they could use the players they just acquired or dip into their farm system — which ranks No. 20 across MLB (per FanGraphs) — to faciliate a trade over the next 27 or so hours.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.