Brewers reliever Josh Hader just barely earned Super Two status this offseason, setting him up to take four trips through arbitration instead of three. Hader then filed for a $6.4MM salary – a far cry from the $4.1MM the Brewers proposed. The decision on the case came down Friday, and the Brewers emerged as the victors. Even in defeat, Hader’s now set to make significantly more than he’d have hauled in had he not gotten to arbitration this early. But this loss will negatively affect Hader’s earning power in future years, and he’d like to see a change in the system.
Speaking on Friday, the 25-year-old left-hander said (via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com): “We definitely knew that we were the underdogs going into it. But it’s something that needs to be put out there: Baseball’s always changing, and we’re at a point now that we’re continuing to change, and I think the system needs to change with that. You can see it in baseball now — a lot of relievers aren’t in certain roles that they once were.”
Hader added that the current arbitration setup is “outdated” with respect to reliever usage, and it’s difficult to argue against that. The present system puts a great deal of emphasis on racking up saves and holds, which doesn’t seem fair to dominant relievers who aren’t just used in those spots (Hader, for example). Hader does have 49 saves and 39 holds since he debuted in 2017 (including 37 and six in those respective categories in 2019), but the Brewers utilized him in various high-leverage situations in his first two seasons, thereby hurting his counting stats. That tactic, while perhaps wise on the team’s part, didn’t do Hader any favors in his initial arbitration hearing.
No matter how they’ve used him, Hader has been lights-out. A two-time All-Star and a back-to-back NL Reliever of the Year winner, Hader owns a superb 2.42 ERA/2.74 FIP with 15.35 K/9 and 3.17 BB/9 through 204 career 2/3 innings. Furthermore, he has regularly recorded more than three outs per appearance. Given Hader’s excellence to date and Friday’s results, he’s not unreasonable to contend that the arbitration process is behind the times for those in his position.
He then went on a twitter tirade… oh wait…
Btw, I’m going to lay off of you Connor. Goodluck with your career. Dont make me regret my decision. Haha.
What
Hader has an excellent point, but it will be difficult to measure his value in a way that an arbitrator can understand.
Elite reliever. I don’t think they’re imbeciles.
K/9? ERA? FIP? The arbiter isn’t just some shmoe off the street.
Pretty sure the arbitrators are legal folks, not baseball background. That is why the old fashioned, easy to grasp numbers play so heavily in the decisions.
He just should have made a better argument based on the consecutive reigning reliever of the year awards rather than talking about FIP which is what he probably did. He also should have filed for something less aggressive, $5.8m would have been way more achievable but still way more than the counter.
Agree 100% that being less aggressive was the key here.
Agree. Unfortunately, arbitrators don’t have the option to split the difference. They have to pick one or the other.
Brewers aren’t in it to win it , owners are satisfied with one good year
Kinda ironic that you said that as a cubs fan…
Brewers rebuild was an epic fail. Rebuild for 5 years be good for 2 start over.
5 year rebuild? You mean the one they started in ’15, and we’re relevant again in ’17..?
I guess a 2 year rebuild equates to a 5 year to bravesiowafan. Plus who said the brewers aren’t going to be competitive this year? Just because the talking heads don’t think they will means nothing. They were the same ones who thought we wouldn’t be good in the last two years. That worked out well for them.
Braves fans are the worst fans in baseball can’t even sell,out playoff games.
System needs changed for sure.
There should be a clear cut distinction between set up man and closer for hearing purproses. Which ever you spend most time doing should be weighted as such.
If you spend most the time as a closer
40% saves 30% innings 20% production, not estimators, and 10% other.
If you spend most your time as a set up man
40% innings 30% innings 25% production 5% other.
Situations in games determine classification, less than 2 innings can qualify as innings for a closer if they earn a save pitching 1.1 or 1.2 innings.
But I’d like to see mlb draft picks tradeble before revamping the arb system. Teams can’t trade rounds 1-10 in consecutive years and can’t trade picks more than 3 years away.
I can see both sides of the argument, but it is a business and a business does whatever it has to do to make money and to save money wherever it can, even if it comes at the expense of a valuable asset of the team. Kind of stinks imo
Arbitrator must have been sipping on same HaderAde. Hehehheehehheeh.
They’ve become the most valuable elite pitcher you can get. Cole’s don’t usually change teams except through free agency and even then a lot were being locked up.
He’s not wrong. If reliever usage is changing them salaries need to reflect that change.
i wouldnt be too mad as a super two player. be lucky you get to go to arbitration at all
He’s overpaid to begin with…they all are. The salaries are outfreakingagus!!! We as fans could change that if we stopped supporting the game by no longer attending them, buying their “stuff” and watching TV games. Who is worth that type of $$$?
No thanks. You have fun and can stop watching and attending. I enjoy baseball and will keep watching and be okay with the amount of money they make due to the massive amount of money they generate for their owners
I agree with Bohsom16, these guys are elite level athletes who deserve every penny they can make while putting significant wear and tear to their bodies for our entertainment. They also put themselves in the limelight which minimizes their ability to have any privacy which is also something to factor into the equation. I figure if you decide to take this path you are being compensated for your lack of privacy.
Don’t forget flying to three different cities in a week about two times per month.
Excellent posts
Back in the day, Jack Nicholson raked in over $100m for his Joker role in the 1985 Batman movie. One movie role. Did you stop watching all movies because he, as an actor, wasn’t worth that type of $$$? It’s entertainment!
Correction…1989 Batman movie. Sorry.
Yeah it’s just athletes that get this treatment. No one seems to cares if Hollywood actors and pop music artists make millions.
Obviously THEY are worth that type of $$$. Otherwise these rich greedy owners wouldn’t be paying them all those $$$$.
All teams are owned by billionaires lol, what do you care how much the players get paid? It’s not your money
So MLB grosses close to 10 billion and the 750 guys (in the entire world) who can play at that level are overpaid! Wow
Players aren’t the only reason for the league success. Tons of behind the scenes employees, magnificent stadiums, outside revenue from developing around the stadiums, the vast industries created to make and develop equipment. How about all the people working games for minimum wage while millionaire play with balls? Trying to say players deserve all the money is just as elitist as saying owners deserve it. Except, without the owners there would be no baseball league. Things don’t just happen.
ANYONE deserves what someone is willing to pay them. If the minimum wage worker could hit baseball 400ft or throw a baseball 95mph, then they probably would worth more than minimum wage. Pretty simple
Would certainly love to hear Randy Levine’s thoughts, you know, given that Hader ‘is not a closer’ and all….
Another problem is that players are guaranteed not to get a pay cut in arbitration. If Hader deserved his $6.4 mill. for his past performance, what if he had a subpar 2020? The Brewers would have to pay him at least that much or cut him, with another team free to sign him at the market rate. If you’re going to “mark-to-market,” it should be a two-way street.
maybe got dinged a little for that 8th-inning performance in the Wild Card game…
Juan Soto puts Nationals ahead with HUGE single that clears the bases | NL Wild Card
youtube.com/watch?v=Ju0n_ug9VyE
So the Brewers get to take double advantage by using him in actually high leverage situations AND saving money by using him properly like that. Sucks for Hader though
Nobody expected him to even be eligible for arbitration til the cutoff was announced. He’s going to make roughly $3.4 million more than the brewers anticipated.