The Brewers have won their arbitration case against lefty relief ace Josh Hader, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). He’ll receive the $4.1MM that the team presented rather than the $6.4MM salary he had sought.
This is a significant win for the team side. For the Brewers, specifically, it not only means immediate savings but sets the team up to pay quite a lot less in each of the three remaining seasons of team control.
More broadly, this case now joins the Dellin Betances ruling in tamping down arbitration leverage for exceptional relief pitchers who have not accumulated a large number of saves. It has been a good winter for teams generally, as they’ve taken six of seven arbitration hearings thus far after the players scored some wins last offseason.
Hader, 25, will not earn as much as he had hoped. But he’ll still do much better throughout his arbitration years than would’ve been expected at the time of his initial promotion to the majors. Most of that is due to his excellent work on the field, of course, but he also did not seem in line for Super Two status. Hader just did sneak in to early arb qualification owing to this year’s unusually low service-time cutoff.
The Brewers have received quite a few good innings from Hader over the past three years. In 204 2/3 total frames, he carries a 2.42 ERA with 15.3 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. He was homer-prone last year but otherwise remained all but impossible to square up. The flamethrower finished the season with a personal-best 6.90 K/BB ratio.
Horrible ruling. Hard to save games when you are routinely brought in games in the 7th to put a potential fire out and “save” the game right then. He got jobbed!
he wasn’t as good last year, it’s a fact jack. not a horrible ruling, he should probably get less than that if anything
He won the award for best pitcher in the NL
Um, Jacob deGrom won that – it’s called Cy Young.
He might of won an award but he wasn’t (nearly) as good as 2018. Seemed inevitable to happen. He wasn’t elite in 2019, just very good.
2018 was one of the best years ever by a relief pitcher. Last year he had 138 K’s in 75 innings, a 2.62 era and saved 37 games. I hope he comes out and demands a trade. He should let them know he’ll only throw the 9th moving forward. This kid should be one of the top paid relievers in the game!
I don’t think he’s going to act like a 5 year old when a decision doesn’t go his way horrible take. This is his first year in arbitration, but I agree he’s an elite relief pitcher I hate when the reds face him but relief pitchers shouldn’t receive starting pitcher salaries.
He was over used. So the team is stretching his body, limiting his future potential, and then go to the arb process saying that they think he’ll decline because he is stretched. Nice.
He was over used. So the team is stretching his body, limiting his future potential, and then go to the arb process saying that they think he’ll decline because he is stretched. Nice.
It’s just hilarious. He was a starter in the minors. After his first taste in the bigs, fans were SCREAMING “put him in the rotation” and now all the sudden he’s overused pitching 75 innings in a season.
And as I stated in a separate comment, nobody knew he’d even be eligible for arbitration this off-season until the day the cutoff was announced.
75 innings in relief is very very different on the body to a starting routine.
This is the one ruling I would have given to the player. The way the Brewers have used him, his career could end up being greatly shortened. I’m not for agents sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong but his agent needs to protect him from the team wearing his arm out. Just my take.
This is why very good players do not want to go to small-market teams. When you have a talent like this are you really going to squabble over 1.75 million? This just shows a team like Milwaukee who two years ago was one game away from the World Series just is taking steps back and this is why they refuse to spend.
I’m not sure you have a good grasp on this.
Players don’t want to play for small market teams regardless. Just look how much harder they play when they become Yankees or Dodgers.
Right…look at Sonny Gray.
Sonny Gray wasn’t a case of working harder or less hard. It was pitch selection. Pure and simple. It’s likely he did try harder as a NYY. Most players try to rise to the occasion of the big stage. He was just given bad advice, for him. It happens.
That’s a ridiculous statement
It’s not “ridiculous” statement. The Yankees insisted he throw a lot more sliders. He said he was never comfortable throwing that many sliders, and it showed.
Golden like the Yankees did with Betances? This is not a small market thing. You’re flat out wrong.
Since arbitration is an either or scenario… he probably should have submitted a value in the 5M range to improve his chances.
I don’t blame him. Shane Greene is making $6.25m
Different service classes
I don’t think most people understand arbitration. 4.1 million is really good for a first time arb who is a relief pitcher
It’s weird because this is not a typical arbitration set up. Rather the rules for it were negotiated as a choice between two submissions. More common is where the arbitrator evaluates from his/her experience and chooses the amount based on the submissions which could include other past case decisions and testimony. If the parties are concerned, they can enter into a high/low agreement where if the arbitrator picks a number in the range, the person gets that amount but if the decision is higher or lower, the player gets either the high or the low amount agreed to. Now that there’s enough data, perhaps the rules for arbitration should be modified in the next CBA.
Don’t be surprised if arbitration is completely gone next CBA.
And replaced with what? There has to be a system in place before free agency unless they lower it eliminate arb which I don’t believe will happen.
I don’t think the players are going to accept anything less than free agency after four years. To get that, they have to give something up. That will be arbitration. Four years of minimum, followed by free agency.
That can be agreed to fairly easily. The contention will be what constitutes service time.
Don’t see the teams agreeing to four nor the union giving up arb in exchange for just one year less. Thus, I see modifications. Reducing it to five years in exchange for changes that allow teams to stop with the automatic raises that force players like Millar to get released. Half on this forum expected JBJ to be cut given his $11m price tag. Players that perform should and will get paid. No one can argue Betts for example didn’t get well compensated as a young superstar. The fact that he still outperformed his paycheck by sabermetrics means nothing. Is there a study that measures every arb eligible player? My guess is in the end, all players did just fine when injuries and bad years are considered. Maybe a bonus pool just for arb eligible players where the luxury tax money gets reallocated to.
If the teams don’t agree to four, there will be a strike. Getting unrestricted free agency sooner is THE priority of the union.
Works well for the Brewers when they fall out of playoff contention. Hader and his salary will net more quality in return in a trade.
And yes, the ruling is horrible for Hader. The guy’s lights out.
He was homer prone and frustrating to watch as a Brewer fan last year. Relies on the fastball too much and guys just sat on it.
Don’t worry. He’ll get significant raises for the next 3 years. He’s VERY fortunate that he squeezed into the Super 2 qualification. Otherwise he could be playing (working) for (ONLY) less than $1,000,000.00.
Beyond ridiculous. Never complains how he’s used, whether it’s in a multi-inning role or as a closer, and his team disrespects him like this. He should demand to close from here on out since he’s clearly the best reliever on the team (and in the league).
Brewer fan here. He is the closer. He suffered cuz he gave up too many bombs (and in big spots).
He suffered more likely from over use. I normally am for the team. It not here. I’d be concerned about trading for him given the cost.
once I seen the Dellin Betances ruling I knew the arbitrary system was a joke
Arbitration hearings clearly weigh certain performance markers and it only changes slightly over time. Other players contracts serve as precedent setting. Too bad Hader won’t receive several million additionally going forward, but fans can be happy that their teams ultimately benefit from a conservative approach to salary arbitration. It likely means Archie Bradley loses his hearing. This makes players more willing to work out extensions and gives teams greater trade value for those players. I can’t feel bad for people who make millions of dollars playing a game. Hopefully they are smart investors.
Garbage result
You put your players in the best position to help you win the game. Not bringing him in earlier in a game to face the tough left handed power hitter is old school thinking. Why not wait until the ninth so the “crappier” bullpen can give up the lead and make his innings useless.
The 3 batter rule may change how the BP is constructed now but it made reasonable sense in the last few years.
As I’ve said before, the players never lose in arbitration. Having said that, I am surprised at this result. The way he’s been used and the value he’s provided is exceptional.
He shot for the stars and fell a little short. Unfortunately for arbitration, you fall all the way back down to the ground if you can’t make the case for your submitted number.
The brewers didn’t defeat him. Arbitration did. And its neither of their faults Hader was even eligible for arbitration this year when seemingly nobody anticipated it until the day the cutoff was made official.
But I’m expecting the diehard know-it-all brewer “fans” to call Stearns, Attanasio and co cheapskates and swindlers anyway.
That’s unexpected. I was pretty sure he’d win that one.
“He was homer-prone last year” … a bit disingenuous to say that when homers were noticeably up across the league by Totally Legit Sheer Coincidence, of course
Throwing straight heat down the middle leads to home runs. He relied on the fastball as his offspeed either wasn’t as effective or he lost some confidence in it. Brewer fan here who watched *a lot* of games. Still very good but most Brewer fans I knew were not thrilled to see him enter the Wild Card game, almost seemed inevitable he’d blow it.
Hader losing sucks, but 4.15 is a lot for a guy on year one of 4 through the process. I mean Mike Clevinger got basically the same amount for his first time through, and he’s only going to get 2 more chances at raises. And he’s a very good starter that would be an ace for many teams.
Looking at Hader’s 2019 season I’m not sure why anyone can say he wasn’t good with a straight face.
Brewers are about to take a backslide. The organization showed every Brewers fan this offseason they aren’t serious about winning. Hader is waiting to be traded or leave for a team that wants to win a World Series. They are destined for 3rd or 4th and will take another herculean effort from Yelich to give themselves a chance. Embarrassing. Brewers have a window and they’re purposely shutting it closed.
So not completely overpaying for free agents that would hamstring the team’s effort to win in future years is “showing Brewer fans they aren’t serious about winning.”?
A $91-million payroll with Braun coming off the books makes your team hamstrung? Well pardon me! Yes, please nickel and dime while your window is open. Have to think about 3 years from now when your team is done contending. Let’s not think about 2020 or 2021 while you have a shot.
They aren’t serious about winning. We can revisit this in about 5 months when the Brewers hover between third and forth. Besides, you did overpay in free agency. You just don’t know it.
So what should (could*) they have done this off-season to keep that window open? Sign Grandal for 4/$75 and Moustakas for 4/$65? Then shell out another 4/$35 for Pomeranz and 2/$20 for Lyles? The first 2 deals would look horrible by year 3, and the latter 2 could be as bad or worse in year 1. Pomeranz getting $8 mil/year to be a reliever is nuts, and who knows what version of Lyles we’d get.
Nevermind some (possibly a lot) of the money saved might just be set aside to give Yelich a mega extension next off-season. But let’s just assume they’re being cheap just to be cheap and don’t have any plans for beyond 2020!
I wonder why he went so high compared to the team’s number. (Not saying he knew the team’s number ahead of time, but usually players and teams are in the same ballpark, apart by a few hundred K – not by 2 million). I assume it’s in large part from comparisons to rookie closers, but it feels like a stretch to think he could get _this_ much extra…
Hader and his agent knew the team’s number ahead of time. This is how they either agree on a salary or decide to go to arbitration in the first place.
Wow I’d like to lose and still get 4 million bucks.
Seems like the players are taking a beating this year. Even the “average” MLB player is an incredible player and the game is flush with cash. Seems like it should be more even.
Hader simply aimed too high. There’s a huge gap between Milwaukee’s $4.1 million offer and Josh’s $6.4 million ask. The arbitrator needs to choose one or the other. He can’t split the difference. Let’s say the arbitrator decided Hader is worth $5.0 million. He must choose the Brewers’ figure because it’s closer. Ideally the two sides put this behind them and discuss a multi-year deal.
I was rooting for him only because he handed my kid a baseball at last year’s Home Run Derby in CLE.
If he went for $5.4M instead of $6.4M, he might’ve gotten it. Arbitrators have to pick one. They can’t split the difference.
Hader is really good. The Brewers are getting a great deal with that salary. As a Cubs fan and with absolutely no disrespect to the Brewers I wish Hader was traded to an AL team.
Hader is really good. The Brewers are getting a great deal with that salary. As a Cubs fan and with absolutely no disrespect to the Brewers I wish Hader was traded to an AL team.
Great job Brewers, way to piss off one the games best relievers… Take it to the bank when his contract is up and Hader is a free agent he’s out of Milwaukee..
Restricted free agency seems obvious.
To everyone but Tony Clark, I guess.
Brewer fan here. Hader got more than he deserved. The Brewers were screwed over that he qualified for Arb this season in the first. Something like 5days or more longer service typically put a player in Super 2. And it was by 1day he qualified. 1day is the difference in Hader making about 650k this season. 4.1Million is one hella OT payday. Oh and that’s as a RP when he pitches every 3 or 4days. He likely was sitting in the bullpen that OT payday. You know these Arb deals increase quite quickly for Super 2 players. Had he won at 6.4 mil youre staring 11÷ next season, 17 the season after and 22 by the end. Of course depends on pitching 60÷ innings effectively for those rates. Thing is at 4.1mil. With his accomplishments he could have TJ this season and see a pay increase probably to that 6.4mil. All for 1 Day. His agent and him though likely had this all planned for this moment. To comment his value should be deemed higher even though he hasnt been the typical set-up or closer. I actually thought they would rule in Hader’s favor just because MLB wants this kind of pitcher in a big market and force Milw to trade him sooner. Thankfully they ruled correctly because 1 day shouldnt be worth 10times the salary increase.
This is not a win for the cheap Brewers to under pay a guy who has done so, so much for them the past two seasons. He earned his arbitration status. Sure they saved some cash but won’t blame Hader if he wants out of Milwaukee ASAP. It’s just business, right? And yet mediocre free agent pitchers are being paid 12 million. It’s laughable how things have evolved in MLB but the Brewers have shot themselves in the foot.
Too bad he can’t leave on his own terms for 4 years lol
Given all the rumors of the Brewers trying to deal him I could see Hader and his agent asking the Brewers to follow through on it.
And so what if he does? He has zero power. Its not like he’s going to sit out for a year after making zero money in his career.