The Braves lost their top two-set up men from a year ago. A.J. Minter signed with the Mets in free agency and Joe Jimenez is expected to miss most of the season following offseason knee surgery. Despite that, Alex Anthopoulos essentially did nothing to replace them, leaving a lot of high-leverage innings up for grabs this season.
The competition for those innings will be fierce throughout Spring Training, and the Braves took a flier on a high upside arm to add to the mix, inking Hector Neris to a deal as a non-roster invite.
The #Braves have agreed to terms with free-agent RHP Hector Neris on a minor-league contract, per @JustinCToscano pic.twitter.com/rTx0tIXX2C
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) March 3, 2025
The 35-year-old Neris is coming off a down year in which he posted a 4.10 ERA over 62 games between the Cubs and Astros. However, he’s just a year removed from being one of the better relievers in all of baseball, recording a 1.71 ERA and striking out over ten batters per nine innings in 71 appearances with Houston in 2023.
Despite boasting a below average fastball in terms of velocity, Héctor Neris has always been a high strikeout guy, averaging 11.1 per nine innings over his career to go along with a 3.33 ERA. He’s pitched in hundreds of high leverage situations and was lights out in the Astros 2022 run to the World Series. Given that experience and the Braves lack of proven options, he certainly has a chance to make a case for the Opening Day roster with some good performances this spring.
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Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sports
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