The Astros are signing right-hander Héctor Neris, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 on X. The Cubs released the righty earlier this week. Assuming it’s a major league deal, the Astros will need to make the necessary steps to add the righty to their active and 40-man rosters once the transaction is finalized.
Neris, 35, returns to an organization where he has already achieved success. Following many great years with the Phillies, Neris joined the Astros in 2022. He signed a two-year, $17 million contract with a club option for 2024, which could vest into a player option based on the amount of appearances he makes for the team over the course of the contract.
Neris appeared in 141 regular season games during his two years in Houston, allowing 2.69 earned runs per nine innings. He struck out 29.1% of batters and walked 9% of them. He recorded five saves and 56 holds throughout that period. He also appeared in 15 postseason games over those two years, including eight in 2022 with a 1.50 ERA, as Houston won its second World Series victory.
By July 2023, he had made his 110th regular-season appearance for the club, changing the club option to a player option. He ultimately decided to decline, accepting the $1 million buyout and returning to free agency rather than agreeing to the $8.5 million compensation.
He finally signed with the Cubs for the 2024 season, with a one-year $9 million guarantee. Again, there was a club/player option provision, this time for a $9 million salary in 2025. It would begin as a club option and may progress to a player option once 60 appearances or 45 games were completed in 2024.
His experience as a Cub was mixed. He made 46 appearances for them this year and had a 3.89 ERA, which doesn’t look too bad at first glance. However, his strikeout rate of 23.5% and walk rate of 13.3% were both significantly lower than his previous performance. He was able to avoid those free passes with a 76.9% strand rate, which may explain why his 4.09 FIP and 4.36 SIERA were slightly worse than his ERA.
The Cubs opted to release him earlier this week. That was most likely due to his poor performance, but the Cubs also did not want him to exercise that player option. Since Neris was released and no team claimed him off waivers, that option has expired and will not be carried over to any new contract he inks.
Though he hasn’t been as sharp this season, it’s a reasonable addition for the Astros. For one thing, there is no actual financial expense. Because they released him, the Cubs are responsible for the majority of his unpaid 2024 pay. The Astros are only required to pay him the prorated version of the $740K league minimum salary for whatever time Neris is on the roster, with that amount deducted from what the Cubs pay.
The Astros have also taken some hits in the bullpen. Kendall Graveman, Penn Murfee, Oliver Ortega, and Bennett Sousa are all on the 60-day disabled list, having undergone extensive surgery earlier this year. Righty Ryan Pressly was also placed on the 15-day injured list a few days ago due to a low back strain. There is no indication that Pressly will be absent for an extended period of time, but it leaves another vacuum in the relief corps until he returns.
Perhaps a return to a familiar atmosphere can help Neris get back on track following some setbacks this season. Even if that doesn’t happen, it’s a low-cost deal that adds depth to the club’s roster for the stretch run and postseason.
