The Chicago Cubs were in need of bullpen reinforcements.
Acquiring a reliever with a consistent track record was particularly important — and something they finally addressed Saturday.
The Cubs and veteran reliever Héctor Neris have agreed to a one-year, $9 million deal that includes a $9 million team option for 2025, a source told the Tribune. Neris’ club option converts to a player option if the right-hander appears in 60 games, a mark he has hit each of the last three years and six of eight seasons excluding the shortened 2020 season. His contract can reach a maximum of $23,25m with incentives.
Neris’s addition addresses important needs in the bullpen. He is durable, having pitched in at least 70 matches five times. The Cubs also get a reliever with experience in big games who can pitch in the back of the pen. The Cubs’ bullpen, which was inexperienced and weakened by injuries in the month of September, struggled to the end. They missed the 2023 playoffs.
Neris is 34 years old and has a 3.24 ERA in 546 appearances in the big leagues. He spent two seasons with Houston, winning a World Series in 2022. He spent eight years playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. Primarily…
