Soto ($23M), Hader ($14.1M) reach deals with Padres

By The Associated Press

FILE - San Diego Padres right fielder Juan Soto watches his two-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 4 of the baseball NL Championship Series between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Philadelphia. Outfielder Juan Soto agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, a raise from his $17.1 million salary last season.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, FIle)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Matt Rourke]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — All-Star outfielder Juan Soto has agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. That’s a raise from his $17.1 million salary last season. San Diego also reached a $14.1 million, one-year agreement with Josh Hader, the largest salary for an arbitration-eligible relief pitcher. The 24-year-old Soto hit .242 with 27 homers, 62 RBIs and a major league-leading 135 walks for Washington and San Diego last season. The Padres acquired the 2020 NL batting champion from the Nationals in a blockbuster trade on Aug. 2. Soto is a two-time All-Star and winner of last year’s Home Run Derby.