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The MLB Trade Deadline was silent. Everything was quiet.
Then, San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller woke everybody up. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Milwaukee Brewers All-Star closer Josh Hader is heading to San Diego.
BREAKING: The Brewers are trading star reliever Josh Hader to the Padres, a source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022
The return for Hader is a big one, and with the recent struggles of Taylor Rogers, a move for another closer felt evident.
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
In five seasons with the Brewers, Hader totaled 125 saves, with a career-high 37 in the 2019 campaign. He leads the entire MLB this year with 29 saves, just one ahead of Taylor Rogers, who the Padres sent away in this deal.
Still, Hader’s stuff is electric.
An MLB-record 12 straight hitless appearances to start a season.
Josh Hader is lights out. #GotYourBack pic.twitter.com/Fgz2wuGyvq
— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2020
Padres fans and MLB fans exploded after this trade was announced, and who knows what will happen next.
The Padres have reportedly traded for Brewers closer Josh Hader. https://t.co/koVjQdm1s7
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) August 1, 2022
The National League Central is not a serious division, and baseball is no longer a serious sport https://t.co/SorofaYXww
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) August 1, 2022
WHAT??? https://t.co/g04453YxGz
— RFERG26 (Reid) #AnnieJanuaryDefender 💫⭐️🌟 (@Rferg26) August 1, 2022
#Padres get Hader, who is under team control through the end of next season. https://t.co/i4QeKaRbk7
— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) August 1, 2022
HOLY SHIT MAN! THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A PARADIGM SHIFT!!! Slam Diego is fucking GOING FOR IT!!! https://t.co/uRDBjS1tPd
— Spiders & Total Eradication 🏳️🌈⚖️ Fanpage (@SpiderQueenAJ) August 1, 2022
By now, Preller’s aggressiveness is not surprising. Moreover, rumors have swirled about Washington Nationals star Juan Soto potentially going to San Diego as well.
If Preller can pull off a Juan Soto AND Josh Hader deadline frenzy, the Padres might be a serious World Series contender this season.
Stay tuned because the 202 MLB Trade Deadline has arisen from the dead, and all eyes are on AJ Preller. The Padres are making moves, and let’s see which other teams crack into the fun of trading.