The Houston Astros are no stranger to making a big move.
Houston completely turned its season around and now is looking like a team that can be a real threat this fall. Like every other contender, though, the Astros could use a boost in the bullpen. They clearly know this, and reportedly are reuniting with veteran reliever Héctor Neris, according to KPRC 2 Houston's Ari Alexander.
"Source: Héctor Neris is signing with the Astros," Alexander said. "He’s back."
Neris clearly has familiarity with the Astros as he spent the 2022 and 2023 campaigns in Houston. He developed into one of the Astros' most dependable bullpen arms and was one of the best relievers in baseball last season.
The 35-year-old appeared in 71 games with the Astros last season and had the best season of his career. He logged an eye-popping 1.71 ERA to go along with a 77-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 68 1/3 innings pitched.
Houston has a good chance of making some noise down the stretch and adding Neris back into the mix certainly will help. He joined the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2024 season and appeared in 46 games and had a 3.89 ERA and 17 saves to go along with a 46-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Astros clearly are going all in as they attempt to make one more deep playoff run with their current core.
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