The Astros are adding right-handed pitcher Héctor Neris to their roster, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 on X. Neris was recently let go by the Cubs. If this is a major league contract, the Astros will have to make corresponding adjustments to both their active and 40-man rosters to accommodate him once the deal is finalized.
Neris, 35, returns to an organization that he has had success with. After many successful years with the Phillies, Neris joined the Astros going into 2022. He signed a two-year, $17MM deal with a club option for 2024, though he could vest that into a player option based on the number of appearances he made for the club during the life of the contract.
Over those two years in Houston, Neris got into 141 regular season contests, allowing 2.69 earned runs per nine. He struck out 29.1% of batters faced and gave out walks at a 9% clip. He earned five saves and 56 holds in that time. He also made 15 postseason appearances over those two years, including eight in 2022 with a 1.50 ERA, helping Houston win its second World Series title.
Over those two years in Houston, Neris got into 141 regular season contests, allowing 2.69 earned runs per nine. He struck out 29.1% of batters faced and gave out walks at a 9% clip. He earned five saves and 56 holds in that time. He also made 15 postseason appearances over those two years, including eight in 2022 with a 1.50 ERA, helping Houston win its second World Series title.
By July of 2023, he had made his 110th regular-season appearance with the club, thus converting the club option into a player option. He eventually decided to turn that down, taking the $1MM buyout and returning to free agency, rather than agreeing to the $8.5MM salary.
He eventually signed with the Cubs for the 2024 season, a one-year, $9MM guarantee. Again, there was a club/player option provision, this time with a $9MM salary on the table for 2025. It would begin as a club option that could become a player option with 60 appearances or 45 games finished in 2024.
His time as a Cub was mixed. He made 46 appearances for them this year with a 3.89 ERA that doesn’t look too bad at first blush. However, his 23.5% strikeout rate and 13.3% walk rate were both significant drop-offs from his previous work. He managed to dance around those free passes a bit with a 76.9% strand rate that’s on the lucky side, perhaps why his 4.09 FIP and 4.36 SIERA were a bit worse than his ERA.
The Cubs decided to set him loose, releasing him earlier this week. That was likely a reflection of his diminished performance but also the Cubs not wanting him to unlock that player option. Since Neris was released and no club grabbed him off waivers, that option is now dead and won’t carry over to any new deal he signs.
Though he hasn’t been as crisp this year, it’s a sensible pickup for the Astros. For one thing, there’s no real financial cost. Because they released him, the Cubs are on the hook for the majority of his 2024 salary that is still to be paid out. The Astros only have to pay him the prorated version of the $740K league minimum salary for any time Neris spends on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Cubs pay.
Although Héctor Neris hasn’t been at his best this season, signing him is a smart move for the Astros. The financial risk is minimal because the Cubs, who released Neris, will cover most of his remaining 2024 salary. The Astros will only need to pay Neris a prorated amount of the $740K league minimum for his time on their roster, with that sum offset by what the Cubs are paying.
The Astros’ bullpen has been hit hard recently, with Kendall Graveman, Penn Murfee, Oliver Ortega, and Bennett Sousa all on the 60-day injured list following major surgeries. Additionally, right-hander Ryan Pressly was placed on the 15-day IL due to a lower back strain. While Pressly’s absence doesn’t appear to be long-term, it adds to the bullpen’s current challenges.
Bringing Neris back into a familiar setting might help him regain his form, and even if it doesn’t, the low-cost deal adds valuable depth to the team for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
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