Former Houston Astros Star Reliever Now Available After His Shocking Release

One of the past Houston Astros stars has become available after he was designated for assignment and immediately released by his new club.

Oct 20, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hector Neris (50) throws during the sixth inning of game five in the ALCS against the Texas Rangers for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Globe Life Field / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

This past offseason, the Houston Astros saw three of their key relievers hit free agency.

Since Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, and Hector Neris played a huge role in their bullpen being one of the best in Major League Baseball for an extended period of time, the consensus thinking was that the Astros would at least re-sign one of them.

Instead, all three found homes elsewhere.

Neris wound up with the Chicago Cubs, inking a one-year, $9 million contract to ideally come in and shore up their backend unit that struggled mightily down the stretch last season.

The right-hander was coming off the best year of his career in 2023 when he posted a ridiculous 1.71 ERA and 246 ERA+ across his 71 outings and 68.1 innings pitched, but he wasn't the same type of pitcher for the Cubs, and they made the shocking decision to designate him for assignment and immediately release him.

Chicago Cubs news: Reliever Hector Neris was DFA'd and has already cleared waivers, sources tell ESPN. He's being released. Jack Neely, acquired from the Yankees in the Mark Leiter Jr trade, is being called up to take his place.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 20, 2024

For Houston, this gives them an opportunity to potentially bring in a pitcher they desperately need.

They have been ravaged by injuries in their starting rotation, just recently finding out that Luis Garcia actually won't be making his return this season like expected. Adding Neris would at least bolster a bullpen unit the Astros could rely on if their starters get in trouble down the stretch.

What makes this decision so surprising is that the right-hander hasn't been bad this season per se.

He has a 3.89 ERA and his ERA+ is seven points better than the league average across 46 outings and 44 innings pitched, but he has struggled with his command throughout the year, posting the highest WHIP (1.523) and second highest BB/9 rate (5.3) of his career.

Neris was thrust into the closer role for Chicago after their original shutdown man picked up a season-ending injury. He blew five saves in 22 opportunities, so he was under a heavy microscope.

However, he could still be a positive addition for Houston if they decide they want to bring him in now that he is available following his release.