Adrian Beltre, Todd, Helton, and Joe Mauer received the necessary 75% of the votes to become the newest inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rightfully so, Mauer, Helton, and Beltre now hold a place in Cooperstown as some of the best players to have ever played the game.
Legendary Chicago Cubs player Jon Lester talked about the significance of Beltre’s election to him. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, he said the following:
“He’s an amazing human being, truly a remarkable person, and an amazing teammate.”
Lester continued, saying he always saw Beltre on the field, regardless of the situation.
He is unlike anything I have ever seen. Despite having a torn hamstring, he continued to play. Simply amazing.
The left-hander will go down as one of the greatest pitchers to ever don a jersey since he played a significant amount of his career with the Cubs. He will always be remembered for his part in getting the city a World Series.
Lester isn’t a guarantee like Beltre was, but he might end up in Cooperstown eventually. During his 16-year big league tenure, he recorded 2,488 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA. He was a three-time World Series champion and a five-time All-Star.
2010 saw Beltre and Lester play together for the Boston Red Sox. With a 3.25 ERA that season, Lester placed fourth in the Cy-Young voting and made his first-ever All-Star team.
The forceful With 28 home runs and 49 doubles during that season, Beltre was also named an All-Star for the first time. A Silver Slugger winner, Beltre placed among the top ten candidates for MVP.
Beltre and Lester appeared to respect one other both on and off the field, despite their limited time spent together on the field.
Hector Neris is the new reliever for the Chicago Cubs, and at first glance, the trade appears to be a good value.
Neris inked a $9 million, one-year contract with the Cubs. With the deal, the Cubs will have access to a pitcher who can close games or serve as a setup man for last season’s 22-saver Adbert Alzolay.
Neris is receiving less money than the majority of other notable relievers available. Yes, Josh Hader agreed to a contract worth almost $100 with the Houston Astros, Neris’s previous squad. However, several relievers have received higher one-year contracts than Neris, like as David Robertson (one-year, $11.5 million with the Rangers) and former Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman (one-year, $10.5 million with Pittsburgh).
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, however, has details that are starting to surface. First, Neris has a $9 million club option in the second year of his contract. That doesn’t always equate to security. However, Neris has been playing well lately.
He has an ERA under 4.00 in his last three seasons. He went 6-3 in his final season in Houston, when his ERA dropped to 1.71. Over his career, Neris has struck out 11.2 times per nine innings, which is a high strikeout rate. Even as he approaches his 35th season, his stats are remarkably stable.
Neris’s current performance level would give the Cubs every incentive to re-sign him in 2025.
However, Neris also possesses a trigger that, should he so choose, may keep him in Chicago in 2025. That $9 million team option becomes a $9 million player option if Neris plays 60 games or more in 2024.
Neris would probably set it off when she enters her age 36 season in 2025, and it is doable. Neris has completed three seasons with at least 70 appearances, and he has six times completed a season with 60 or more appearances.
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