“Love was in the air” - Michael Wacha’s wife Sarah captures touching scene as her daughter bonds with Josh Hader's son

Former teammates at the San Diego Padres, Michael Wacha and Josh Hader, still continue their friendship despite being on different rosters for the upcoming season, and their bond has been furthered by their kids.

Wacha's wife Sarah shared an endearing picture on her Instagram story that showcases Hader's son and Wacha's daughter bonding and giggling around. Hader's wife, Maria also shared the story on Instagram.

Sarah wrote:

"Love is in the air"

A screenshot of the story from Maria Hader on her Instagram account

Both Josh Hader and Michael Wacha left the San Diego Padres this offseason in tandem. As the Kansas City Royals came calling for the 32-year-old Wacha, who has seen some improvement in form in recent years. Hader was signed by the Houston Astros to further bolster the defensive depth in the Astros bullpen.

Michael Wacha was a rookie starter for the St. Louis Cardinals when Kansas City won back-to-back American League crowns in 2014–15, along with a World Series trophy in 2015. He recalls what it was like to pitch at Kauffman Stadium during the Royals' pennant years, not too long ago.

This offseason, Kansas City formally signed the right-handed starter to a one-year deal with a player option through 2025. The deal's terms were not made public, but MLB.com reported via valid sources that it is valued at $32 million, including a $16 million player option and $16 million for the upcoming season.

In late January 2024, Josh Hader signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros. He was unveiled to the media alongside Astros manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown while wearing his well-known No. 71 jersey at Minute Maid Park.

Before being dealt to the Brewers in 2015 in a trade agreement that sent Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to Houston, Hader, a left-hander, was the Astros' 2014 Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Both Michael Wacha and Josh Hader posted amazing numbers for the underachieving Padres last year

Despite spending a substantial portion of 2018–2021 mostly sidelined and/or ineffectual due to rampant injuries, Michael Wacha has now produced two consecutive strong seasons in the big leagues.

With the Red Sox in 2022, he recorded an ERA of 3.32, while in his debut season in San Diego, it was 3.22. Even though he only pitched 134 1/3 innings for the Friars, his efficiency and workload were at their highest point in years.

One of the best relievers in the game for a long time, Josh Hader pitched for the Padres last season with an ERA of 1.28. Hader has had the best fWAR of any MLB reliever since joining the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017. Left-hander Hader has struck out 648 batters in 388 2/3 innings over his career, recording a 2.50 ERA.