The Phillies are taking a different approach this offseason, staying relatively quiet after years of splashy moves.
Dave Dombrowski, the team’s president of baseball operations, hasn’t made many changes to the roster that fell short in the 2024 playoffs. They’ve added starter Jesús Luzardo through trade and signed free agents Jordan Romano and Max Kepler, but that’s about it.
There’s still room for one more move, though. The Athletic’s Chad Jennings suggests a reunion with reliever Héctor Neris might make sense.
“The free-agent market really doesn’t offer any other ideal fits,” Jennings writes. “Neris at least would give them one more veteran arm, and a familiar arm at that. He would fit about as well as anyone.”
Neris has deep ties to Philadelphia. The Phillies signed him as a non-drafted free agent in 2010, and he spent eight seasons with the team from 2014 to 2021. His best year in Philly came in 2016, when he posted a 2.58 ERA and struck out 102 batters in 80.1 innings.
The veteran reliever’s had an interesting journey since leaving. He won a World Series with Houston in 2022 – ironically against the Phillies. Last year was a bit rocky, splitting time between the Cubs and Astros while posting a 4.10 ERA and -0.2 WAR.
But here’s why it could work: The Phillies’ bullpen is mostly set, but adding a familiar face on a short deal makes sense. Spotrac pegs Neris’s market value at $5.1 million for one year – that’s the kind of low-risk move that could round out the roster before spring training.
Jennings puts it simply: “Basically, just give the Phillies one of the last relievers standing, hope all their big bats stay healthy, and call up Andrew Painter in June.”
While fans might’ve hoped for a bigger splash to close out the offseason, Dombrowski seems content with making just one more modest addition. Sometimes the familiar choice is the right one.
