*Photo from the Crawfish Boxes*
Another reliever is going to Wrigleyville. The Chicago Cubs and RHP Hector Neris have agreed to a one year, $9 million contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Cubs have confirmed the deal.
The contract contains a $9 million team option for the 2025 season that converts to a player option if Neris appears in 60 games in 2024. Neris gives the Cubs bullpen a top level setup man ahead of closer Adbert Alzolay, with Neris also having the ability to close games, which he did plenty of with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Neris had a standout season for the Houston Astros in 2023, his second year with the team. He posted a career best 1.71 ERA to go with a 1.05 WHIP, picking up two saves in 68 1/3 innings and 71 appearances. He allowed 6 runs in 8 1/3 innings and 7 appearances in the playoffs.
The biggest reason behind the breakout year for Neris was the considerable drop in hard contact. In 2022, he ranked in just the 8th percentile in hard hit rate with a 44.7 percent mark. In 2023, that became 28 percent and a 98th percentile ranking.
His four seam fastball was the deadliest pitch he had to offer. Opponents mustered a .153 average and .306 slugging percentage against the pitch, being used almost 52 percent of the time. In 2022, opponents hit .209 with a .374 slugging percentage.
Neris has pitched for the Phillies and Astros over 9 full seasons and one appearance of a 10th in 2014. He has a 3.24 ERA, 3.62 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP to his name, averaging 11.2 strikeouts per 9 innings with 89 saves in 541 1/3 innings, making 546 appearances. He also has a 4.40 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 14 1/3 innings over 15 appearances in the playoffs.
So far this offseason, the Cubs landed reliever Yency Almonte and infielder Michael Busch in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers while signing star Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga to a two year guaranteed deal.
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