CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 03: Willson Contreras #40 of the Chicago Cubs looks on from the dugout in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on October 03, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Hector Neris and the Chicago Cubs have reached an agreement on a $9 million, one-year contract. Neris, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies for his first eight years in the major leagues, now has a chance to contend with an improving Cubs squad for the National League Central and make the playoffs. Although Neris enjoyed successful seasons with the Phillies, his best season to date was in 2023 when he was a member of the Houston Astros. He pitched 68 1/3 innings with a 1.71 ERA. Neris played for the Houston club that defeated Philadelphia in the 2022 World Series.
Neris could pitch in more over 65 innings a season and was a dependable arm despite his occasional troubles in Philadelphia. This move suggests that there will be another National League team for the Phillies to be aware of. 2016 was his greatest season, with an 80 1/3 inning total and a 2.58 ERA. Chicago is expected to contend in 2024, having hired Craig Counsell, the highest-paid manager in baseball. Now that they have added Neris and Shota Imanaga, two of the best free agent arms available, they have a strong roster.
Re-signing Cody Bellinger should be their next priority. With Bellinger not being re-signed, the lineup might be even worse than it was the previous season, or it could be much better going into the next season.
In his three appearances, the 34-year-old struck out four batters in 2.0 innings while giving up no runs against the Phillies.
The Chicago Cubs have apparently made their eagerly anticipated move to address the bullpen in a week that has seen a sharp increase in movements made across the league to sign the remaining free agent relievers.
The Cubs and seasoned reliever Hector Neris have reached an agreement on a one-year, $9 million contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
According to Passan, if Neris plays 60 games, the 2025 option in the contract becomes a player option.
The eagerly expected move marks the Cubs’ second offseason addition to the bullpen, after infielder Michael Busch and Yency Almonte were acquired in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Neris, 34, is coming off a season with the Houston Astros that was arguably the greatest of his career, finishing with a 6-3 record and a 1.71 ERA in 71 games and 68.1 innings pitched.
With a 1.054 WHIP, the right-hander walked 31, struck out 77 batters, and gave up seven home runs.
Despite his impressive stats, Neris’s peripherals give rise to some modest concern; his 3.83 FIP shows that luck and strong defence played a part in his success.
Neris was a dependable member of the Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen for a considerable amount of time until his current two-year stay in Houston. During that time, he shown durability and generally above average performance.
Even if it’s reasonable to believe that Neris’ closing days are behind him, he still have 89 career saves because he was the Phillies’ primary closer from 2017 to 2019. In the event that incumbent closer Adbert Alzolay suffers an injury or struggles with his performance, this might give the Cubs greater flexibility than they had in 2023.
Along with more seasoned relievers, Luke Little, Daniel Palencia, José Cuas, and Michael Rucker are among the arms vying for jobs in the Cubs’ bullpen now that Neris has joined the team.
Of course, it doesn’t even include promising minor league arms like Cade Horton and Ben Brown, who both have a chance to play in the major leagues by 2024.
The Cubs’ second big free agent acquisition of the offseason is the finest reliever still available on the market, which the North Siders signed to fill a glaring void that ultimately contributed to their September collapse.
