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The Philadelphia Phillies should have traded for Josh Hader

By David Esser

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 11: Josh Hader #71 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch during a game against the Minnesota Twins at Miller Park on August 11, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers defeated the Twins 6-4. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 11: Josh Hader #71 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch during a game against the Minnesota Twins at Miller Park on August 11, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers defeated the Twins 6-4. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: General manager Matt Klentak of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to the media prior to the game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on September 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: General manager Matt Klentak of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to the media prior to the game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on September 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Josh Hader was worth the high asking price.

Brewers LHP Josh Hader was reportedly on the market this year (granted for a very high asking price), and the Phillies were seen as a team that was at least interested in his services enough to call Milwaukee about him. Hader has been one of the highest regarded bullpen arms in the MLB over the last few seasons, with his ability to stretch out over multiple innings seeing his value be compared to that of a full-on starting pitcher at times.

Hader has a career ERA of 2.39 and a career WHIP of 0.858, while also posting an absolute insane K/9 rate of 15.2 across four seasons. Laughably good numbers.

Not only is Hader arguably the best reliever in all of baseball right now, but he still has three years left of control on his current contract. This would have been a move that not only vaulted the Phillies past the Braves in 2020, but a move that would have set the Phils up for multiple seasons of success. A core pitching staff of Nola, Wheeler, Howard, Eflin, and Hader is likely the best in all of baseball, and combined with the Phillies offense, could have potentially led to a World Series appearance.

Fair warning, a hypothetical package for Hader would have been monstrous. It would have likely started with prospects Bryson Stott, Mickey Moniak, and Mick Abel, and could have even included a promising youngster like Adam Haseley. Make no joke about it, Hader is a freaky talent, but this would have gutted an already depleted Phillies farm system.

The Phillies haven’t been the best at handling their prospects in recent years (we’re seeing that currently with Sixto Sanchez), but at some point, this Phillies team is going to have to go “all in”. Harper, Realmuto, Hoskins, Nola, and Wheeler are all likely entering their primes, and surrounding them with as much elite talent as humanly possible is the only way this franchise is going to get back to the World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies have swung a big deadline day trade. dark. Next

Prospects are nice, but proven elite talent is even nicer. Depending how the rest of the 2020 season plays out, I wouldn’t even be opposed to re-visiting this Hader hypothetical during the offseason. The Philadelphia Phillies team legitimately looks like they are a bullpen away from being contenders, and what better way to fix that problem then by simply adding the best bullpen arm in all of baseball.

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