The Atlanta Braves have come to terms with World Series champion reliever Héctor Neris on a minor league deal. Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the deal includes a non-roster invitation to big league Spring Training. The 35-year-old right-hander will be in camp with the Braves on Monday.
Braves signed Hector Neris. He’s an NRI who’ll be in camp today. That means there are 49 players in big-league camp.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) March 3, 2025
Signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 2010, Héctor Neris spent eight seasons in Philadelphia before becoming a free agent in 2021. Neris, who was primarily a setup man for the Phillies, made his MLB debut and earned his first major league victory against the Astros in 2014. He became the team’s closer in 2017 but was demoted from the role a month into the 2018 season. The Dominican right-hander finished the 2018 campaign with a career-high 37.4% strikeout percentage, second only to Josh Hader in the National League. His final season in Philadelphia came in 2021 where he recorded 12 saves with a 3.63 ERA in 74 1⁄3 innings.
That November Neris signed a two-year contract worth $17 million with the Houston Astros. In 2022, he pitched the eighth inning of a combined no-hitter against the Yankees, the 14th no-hitter in Astros history. Neris contributed to another no-hit bid that October against the Phillies before it was broken up in the ninth. He finished the 2022 regular season with a 3.72 ERA, 79 strikeouts, and three saves over 65 ⅓ innings. Neris made 70 appearances, ranking fifth in the AL among relievers, while his 25 holds were tied for third most. Neris was instrumental in the Astros 2022 World Series championship, tossing a scoreless seventh inning in the Game 6 clincher.
Braves Sign Reliever Héctor Neris to Minor League Deal
Neris had a career year in 2023, recording a 1.71 ERA and 28.2% strikeout rate over 71 appearances. After declining his 2024 option with Houston, he signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Neris soon took over the closing role for the struggling Adbert Alzolay, recording 17 saves before experiencing his own struggles. Over 44 innings with the Cubs, he had a 3.89 ERA, but a career-low 23.5% strikeout percentage and a career-high 13.3% walk rate.
After being released by Chicago in August, Neris returned to Houston to close out the 2024 campaign. While his numbers improved after returning to Houston, he still allowed a career-high four home runs over 15 ⅓ innings. Despite his recent struggles, Neris and his four-pitch arsenal have been nearly unhittable throughout his 11-year career. Something he will look to get back to with the Braves.
Main Photo Credits: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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