Héctor Neris latest stint with Astros isn’t exactly helping his impending free agency

When the Houston Astros reacquired reliever Héctor Neris off waivers from the Chicago Cubs, there was a general sense of calm and relief attached the right-hander's return. Neris was one of the Astros' most reliable relievers just a season ago, and he, along with Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek, left during free agency this past offseason.

Neris latched on with the Cubs after inking a one-year, $8 million deal. But the veteran didn't fare too well on the North Side of Chicago. The Cubs designated Neris for assignment back in August after he posted a 3.89 ERA 46 appearances coming out of the Chicago bullpen.

Houston was happy to reunite with Neris. After all, you can never have enough pitching. However, Neris' return to H-Town has been a bit underwhelming. While his 2.53 ERA is very respectable, there are some obvious concerns as well.

Héctor Neris latest stint with Astros isn’t exactly helping his impending free agency

The biggest being Neris' FIP, naturally. For those unaware, FIP (fielding independent pitching) essentially measures what a pitcher's ERA would look like if there was league-average defense playing behind him. More often than not, the stat is used to defend a pitcher whose ERA might be a product of poor defense. But ... that's the not case when it comes to Neris.

Neris' 4.76 FIP is nearly 2.25 points higher than his ERA (through action on Wednesday). Neris is also walking batters nearly 12% of the time, and his walk rate is among the bottom 10% in the league this season. And while Neris has never had the best command, his strikeout rate has dipped from 28.2% in 2023 to 23.3% this season.

The most alarming stat, however, is Neris' hard-hit rate. Last season, Neris was among the very best in Major League Baseball. But after posting a 28% hard-hit rate in 2023 (98th percentile), that number has jumped to 42.7% in 2024 (18th percentile) according to Baseball Savant.

Those are not good stats, and it's especially unfortunate considering that Neris is entering free agency once again. Neris will join Justin Verlander, Yusei Kikuchi, Alex Bregman, and other Astros who'll hit the open market this coming winter.

While it may not bode well for Neris' free agency, perhaps the Astros would be able to work out a team-friendly deal with the 35-year-old during the upcoming offseason. After all, everybody else sees these numbers too, but the Astros have held the key to his success in the past. Why not again?

More Houston Astros News and Rumors