Growing belief that Hader could be traded, per report

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale is reporting that baseball executives believe that Josh Hader could actually be dealt by the Milwaukee Brewers before the trade deadline.

The senior MLB columnist notes that any trade for Hader would require a big return. Not only is Hader possibly the best reliever in baseball, but he has three years of control after the season. He entered his first year of arbitration this season, which means his salary will see continued increases in the coming years. That factor and a substantial value would add up to a Brewers trade.

MLB Network Jon Heyman stated on his Twitter that Milwaukee is taking calls on Hader, but aren’t actively contacting other teams about him. Heyman states that it’s been Stearns MO to listen to offers on all of his players, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a trade will happen.

Robert Murray followed Bob’s report by stating that the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and others have checked in on the former All-Star reliever. The three teams mentioned certainly have the prospects to meet the significant price David Stearns and company have set.

We mentioned earlier that teams are trying to use Hader’s dip in fastball velocity to negotiate a better price for the lefty. The Brewers are arguing that his decrease in fastball usage and increase in slider usage show significant strides as a pitcher and development of his game.