Reunion with ex-Phillies reliever after release from Cubs is a good chance to take

On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs announced that they had released right-hander Héctor Neris, as reported by Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The former Philadelphia Phillies reliever had originally signed with the Cubs to a one-year deal back in February to help fortify their relief corps.

With Neris now available, should the Phillies take a flier on their former closer and bring him home? If the Phillies really want to maximize their chances of success, they should be all for it.

Reunion with ex-Phillies reliever Héctor Neris after release from Cubs is a good chance to take

Neris was coming off the best season of his career in 2023 when he posted a 6-3 record with a stellar 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, with 77 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings with the Houston Astros. This year, he has fallen a bit back down to earth but has still managed to put up decent numbers with an 8-4 record and 3.89 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 44 innings of work over 46 appearances.

However, an ERA hovering close to 4.00 and a 1.52 WHIP could present some worries about significant regression.

But if we actually take a deeper look at the numbers, it certainly isn’t as bad as it seems. On the season, Neris has given up just four home runs all year and has registered a solid 3.05 ERA away from Wrigley Field, as pointed out by Luke Arcaini of FOX Sports PHL Gambler.

Perhaps getting Neris out of Chicago would greatly help improve his stats. On top of that, of the 19 earned runs that he had given up in 2024, seven of them all came in two disastrous outings against the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

Héctor Neris had a great start to his season for the Cubs and wouldn't cost the Phillies much

In fact, at one point in time in early June, Neris actually held a 2.63 ERA with a tidy .214 opponents batting average to go along with six wins, zero losses and nine saves. It wasn't until his sporadic implosions in recent months that he became expendable in the Cubs' eyes.

Given that the Phillies shouldn’t turn down any potential insurance help for their bullpen to make them even better, bringing Neris back to where it all began with a shot at a World Series championship could be the perfect antidote to his recent struggles. Moreover, he has shown great success in a Phillies uniform in his career, compiling a 3.42 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 84 saves and 520 strikeouts in 407 2/3 innings over eight seasons with the club.

Add that to the fact that he wouldn’t cost the Phillies an arm and a leg, as most likely, he can be had at the league minimum with no commitment beyond 2024 if Philadelphia decides to pick him up. If, for any reason, Neris doesn’t live up to expectations, the lost investment would be negligible.

If Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is paying any attention, he should act fast now and swoop up the potential low-risk, high-reward bullpen option in Neris to help bolster the Phillies’ relief corps for the stretch run.