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Josh Hader's $19M Astros Contract for 2024 Topped Tigers' 26-Man WC Roster Payroll

Wednesday's American League wild-card matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros was a prime example that money doesn't always equal wins.

The Tigers' entire 26-man wild-card roster has a combined salary of $18.8 million, which is less than the sole salary of Astros' reliever Josh Hader, who makes $19 million a year.

Kenta Maeda's $14 million takes up the bulk of the Tigers' payroll and just three other players make more than $1 million annually, per Spotrac.

Despite the payroll disparity, Detroit downed Houston 5-2 on Wednesday to advance to the American League Division Series.