Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical.

Hader will get a $19 million salary each of the next five seasons, none of it deferred. He gets a full no-trade provision and would receive a $1 million bonus for winning the Mariano Rivera/Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award.

Hader’s deal can be considered the most lucrative for a relief pitcher, even while falling short of the total dollars in Edwin Díaz’s $102 million, five-year contract with the New York Mets that began last year. Díaz’s deal includes $26.5 million in deferred payments he won’t completely receive until 2042 and was valued at $93.2 million for baseball’s luxury tax and $88.8 million by the players’ association.

A 29-year-old with long, flowing hair, Hader returns to the Astros’ organization after spending two years in their minor league system from mid-2013 through mid-2015. He figures to take over as closer, and push Ryan Pressly back to a setup role in a bullpen that also includes Rafael Montero and Bryan Abreu.

Héctor Neris became a free agent and remains unsigned. Houston reached the agreement three days after announcing reliever Kendall Graveman will miss the season after right shoulder surgery.

Hader became a free agent for the first time last fall after turning down a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from San Diego, which acquired him in a deadline trade from Milwaukee in 2022. Hader made $14.1 million last year.

He was 2-3 with a 1.28 ERA and 33 saves in 38 chances for San Diego in 61 appearances last season, striking out 85 and walking 30 in 561/3 innings. He disappointed in his Padres debut season with a 7.31 ERA and seven saves in 19 games down the stretch.

CARDINALS: Matt Carpenter is returning to St. Louis, agreeing to a one-year contract from 2011-21.

Carpenter agreed to a deal for the $740,000 major league minimum, which is offset against his guaranteed $5.5 million salary as part of a $12 million, two-year contract he signed with San Diego in December 2022.

A first baseman and occasional outfielder, Carpenter was traded to Atlanta last month along with $1.5 million, then released by the Braves three days later. In effect, Carpenter costs the Braves $3.26 million, the Padres $1.5 million and the Cardinals $740,000.

Carpenter was an All-Star in 2013, 2014 and 2016. He has a .260 career average with 175 homers and 644 RBI for the Cardinals, Yankees and Padres. He hit .176 with five homers and 31 RBI but had just 50 at-bats from July 1 on. Carpenter didn’t play after Sept. 10 because of right elbow inflammation.

YANKEES: Jeter Downs was designated for assignment, one month after New York claimed the 25-year-old shortstop off waivers from the Washington Nationals. The Yankees needed the roster spot after claiming infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the New York Mets.

Downs, the 32nd overall pick by Cincinnati in the 2017 draft, is named after ex-Yankees captain Derek Jeter.

The Yankees have seven days to trade Downs or place him on waivers.

Downs was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox as part of a package for Mookie Betts in 2020. He made his big league debut with Boston in 2022 and hit .154 (6 for 39) with one homer and four RBI. He was claimed by the Nationals off waivers and was 2 for 5  last year with one RBI and two stolen bases. He also hit .236 with three homers, 18 RBI and 11 steals for Triple-A Rochester.