Shocking Cubs Decision: Cubs Release Héctor Neris, Sidestep $9M 2025 Vesting Option

Cubs Release Héctor Neris: The Cubs have told veteran reliever Hector Neris they will release him, Jesse Rogers of ESPN writes. Neris had cleared waivers but it hadn’t been announced at that point. No claim came in for Neris. Right-hander Jack Neely, who has a 4.50 ERA in nine appearances with Triple-A Iowa, will have his contract selected to take Neris’ place on the 40-man roster. The Mets got Neely from the Yankees in exchange for Mark Leiter Jr.

Neris performance and contract

Neris, 35, signed a one-year, $9 million contract over the winter. This will be his only year with the Cubs and his performance has been up and down this season. His 3.89 earned run average is good, but Neris has lost five of 25 save situations this season and his strikeout and walk rates are career worsts, at 23.1% and 13.3%, respectively.

Héctor Neris
Position	RP – CHC – #51
Season	2024
Innings Pitched (IP)	44
Earned Run Average (ERA)	3.89
Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP)	1.52
Strikeouts (K)	46
Strikeouts per 9 Innings (K/9)	26

Why Cubs Release Héctor Neris?

One of the major reasons for releasing Neris could be that he had a vesting player option that would have been activated if he appeared in 60 games or finished 45 games. Currently Neris has appeared in 46 games and finished a game 33 times. This means he would have had to pitch in 14 of the remaining 37 games or record the final out in 12 games. If that happened, he would have received a $9 million player option for next season. Given his volatile performance, the Cubs would likely have declined to meet this condition.

Héctor Neris’ past record

Although Neris’ performance this season was not good, a year ago he posted an impressive ERA of 1.71 in 68 1/3 innings. This stat can be a little misleading as it includes average and strand rate on balls. With his 28.2% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate, he showed promise of a solid season. His record from 2019-23 is also quite impressive, pitching in 297 1/3 innings with a 3.12 ERA and 30.2% strikeout rate.

Hector Neris debut and future

With Neris released, he can now be signed by any team. His new team will only have to pay him the league minimum for spending time on the big league roster or injured list. This amount will be subtracted from what the Cubs are paying him, but the Cubs will still have to pay the majority of his contract. If Neris signs with a new team before September 1, he could be eligible for that team’s postseason roster.

Jack Neely’s Career

Jack Neely will make his big league debut in a Cubs uniform. The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher was selected in the 11th round by the Yankees in 2021. He has performed with a 2.42 ERA and 38% strikeout rate in 48 1/3 innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels with the Cubs and Yankees this year. His fastball/slider combination is very impressive and he looks set to make his big league debut.

Héctor Neris Future Plans

Neely won’t get a full year of big league service in 2024, but the Cubs will control him for at least six full seasons. If he stays in the big leagues permanently, he won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2027-28 offseason and won’t be able to enter free agency until the 2030-31 offseason. For now, Neely will focus on continuing his impressive performance in the big leagues and establishing himself as a reliable pitcher.

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