Reuniting with Former Closer Should Close Out Offseason for Philadelphia Phillies

A former closer of the Philadelphia Phillies remains available through free agency and reuniting may feel so good.
Oct 3, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hector Neris (50) throws the ball against Florida Marlins in the 5th inning at loanDepot Park.
Oct 3, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hector Neris (50) throws the ball against Florida Marlins in the 5th inning at loanDepot Park. / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Phillies have made two good additions to their roster this offseason, and one that has left many scratching their heads.

Acquiring Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins cemented the rotation as the best in MLB without question, while taking a flyer on Jordan Romano could pay off in spades should the veteran return to form after a poor showing in a 2024 that was mired by injuries.

The addition of Max Kepler to the outfield remains a puzzling decision, as while the veteran does provide more power to the lineup, he does not provide it often as he is firmly implanted on the injured list more often than not.

The bullpen does still remain the weakest aspect of this Phillies team as the new season approaches, though the backend with Romano, Orion Kerkering, and Matt Strahm is the best part.

Former Philadelphia closer Hector Neris remains available through free agency, and while he should not return to his former role, the team should look at adding him to better fill out the middle of the bullpen.

Neris spent the first eight years of his career with the Phillies, pitching to a 3.42 ERA across 407 2/3 innings in 405 games with 520 strikeouts, 84 saves, and a 124 ERA+. He has since spent time with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs, but reuniting with his first club could feel so good for both sides.

As it stands, the right-handed options in the bullpen for the middle innings are projected to be Jose Ruiz, Joe Ross, and Taijuan Walker. Ruiz and Ross both had solid showings in 2024, but there is really no need to bring up how bad Walker was as a starter or that he was even worse as a reliever.

2025 will be Neris's age-36 campaign, and while he is older, he could still be a valuable addition to Ross and Ruiz, pushing Walker even further down the depth chart (or off the roster entirely) without breaking the bank.

Spotrac has Neris's market value at $5.2 million, though at this point in the offseason, it is far more likely that he can be signed on a minor league deal with baseball activities soon to resume.

Bringing Hector Neris back into the fold would go a long way to improving a bullpen that has troubled Philadelphia for quite some time now. And for Neris, there's no place like home.

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