Former Philadelphia Phillies Star Reunites with American League Powerhouse

One of the past Philadelphia Phillies stars is now back with his former team.

Jul 4, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris (50) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

As the Philadelphia Phillies attempt to win their first World Series title since 2008, something that continues to drive them is coming close in 2022 when they held a two games to one lead against the Houston Astros before eventually seeing their opponent hoist the trophy.

It was a tough pill to swallow, especially when one of their longtime relievers played a major role in their elimination.

Hector Neris spent eight years with the Phillies from 2014-21. They signed him as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2010, developing him within their farm system until he was ready for his MLB debut.

He had a good tenure in Philadelphia, appearing in 405 games with a 3.42 ERA and ERA+ of 124, recording 84 saves across 407.2 innings pitched.

But after the 2021 season, he signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Astros that eventually came back to bite the Phillies when he appeared in three of the World Series games and pitched two scoreless innings where he allowed only one hit and struck out four.

Neris signed with his third MLB team during this past offseason, inking a $9 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Brought in to boost their horrendous bullpen, his shaky play eventually caused the Cubs to shockingly release him despite his ERA+ of 107 across 46 outings.

Now, the star right-hander has decided to sign with Houston once again per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2.

For the Astros, this is a no-brainer move since he's coming out of 2023 with them where he posted a ridiculous 1.71 ERA and 246 ERA+ across his 71 outings.