San Diego Padres: Josh Hader talks trade rumors, Blake Snell skills and Shohei Ohtani

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SEATTLE — Josh Hader has been down this road before, so the San Diego Padres closer knows the questions are coming and he's ready to answer them.

It was at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles last season where Hader, earning a trip to the Midsummer Classic as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, was asked about the possibility of being traded. Just over two weeks later, Hader was on his way to San Diego to join the Padres.

It's deja vu here in the Pacific Northwest as Hader's name is once again one that is being floated out there as someone who could be on the move in the coming days. However, while in Seattle, Hader isn't listening to the rumors or paying any attention to them.

How San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader is dealing with trade rumors

"It's out of my control. I think that's the biggest thing is you can't get your head wrapped up in what-ifs or whatever," Hader said. "To me, it's just going out there every day and making sure that I'm ready to pitch. If something happens, it happens. Just like last year, it's been rumors pretty much every year since I've been in arbitration (2020) that it was a possibility.

"You know, even if I put stress to that, I can't change the result or the outcome of where I would be if it's gonna happen. I feel like it's wasted energy if you're even thinking about that. It takes away from the mental prep going into my daily job. Why add unnecessary burdens to yourself? So that's the way I look at it, control what I can control. Go out there every single day and give 100% of what I got. From there, it's out of my hands."

NEXT: Hader tells what makes Blake Snell so special

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Hader thinks there should be more San Diego Padres at the All-Star Game

I asked Hader if he thought there should have been more San Diego representation at the All-Star Game (only he and Juan Soto made the trek to Seattle). He was quick to answer.

"I definitely do. Obviously, there's a lot that goes into the voting and stuff like that, but we got a bunch of dudes on our squad," Hader said. "And obviously, you know, the season that we were having isn't as expected, but we have a lot of guys, both position players and starters, who I'd love to see those those guys be here."

One of those starters was Blake Snell, and I asked Hader what he has seen from Snell in a first half where he has put up ridiculous numbers, but somehow didn't get an invitation to the Midsummer Classic.

Blake Snell is 4th in NL in ERA (2.85), 2nd in strikeouts (132) & No.1 in BA against (.200).

There are 15 starting pitchers in MLB with an ERA of 3.09 or lower. Snell is the only one who has not been named to his league’s All-Star roster.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) July 9, 2023

"What I've seen is that hitters can touch him. He's been dominant every single time he goes out on that mound," Hader said. "He gives us strong innings every single time.

"I think the fun part about it is all of the strikeouts that he's been able to get, mixing different spots in the zone and making these hitters guess. Obviously you have to make contact as a hitter, and it's just been unbelievable the way he's been able to go north and south in the zone and be able to throw that changeup. I think that's one of the biggest pitches that I've seen him throw. I'm super impressed by it because the angle that he throws at and it's top of the zone for fastballs and curveballs and sliders down, but changeups? He's got that in his back pocket. It's a tough pitch to hit."

Next: How Josh Hader would sell San Diego to Shohei Ohtani

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Should this be the pitch for the San Diego Padres to Shohei Ohtani?

It's well known that Shohei Ohtani will likely be a free agent at the end of the season (provided he isn't traded at the trade deadline in a stunning development). There has been talk that the Padres could be a potential landing spot for the Japanese superstar. If that's the case, how would Hader suggest the Padres tell Ohtani why San Diego should be his next MLB home?

"It's San Diego. I mean, do you really need much more than that?" Hader asked. "If you've ever been in San Diego, you know how beautiful it is. It's a fun team. We've got a lot of great guys for long term, so he's a guy that they probably want to lock up for a long-term deal as well, as long as they can find a billion dollars somewhere."

There's no doubt that every team would love to have Ohtani as a part of its roster, and the Padres will likely be competing with their rivals up Interstate 5 (the Los Angeles Dodgers) for his services. While both locations have plenty of scenery and talent on the MLB roster, it may take that billion dollars (hey, it's possible) as much as a great location and a commitment to winning for Ohtani to select his new home.

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