After last season’s collapse, Cubs bring in Neris to bolster bullpen
After the bullpen belched up one late lead after another down the stretch last season and the Cubs missed making the playoffs by a game, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer looked in the mirror.
“It was frustrating,” he said. “I need to do a better job myself building the bullpen. Certainly, the bullpen is an area of priority for us.”
As closer Adbert Alzolay and setup relievers Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. broke down at the worst time possible, the Cubs lost five games in September after holding the lead in the eighth inning or later.
It was a colossal collapse, and Hoyer addressed the problem in late January.
In a significant move, the Cubs signed Hector Neris to a one-year, $9 million contract.
Not only is Neris a proven performer, he pitched in the postseason the last two years with the Astros.
Before that, Neris spent eight seasons with the Phillies and saved 84 games. Over the last three years, he's pitched in 215 regular-season games.
“I think those (bullpen) guys learned a lot last season,” Hoyer told reporters at spring training. “For a lot of those guys, it was their first time through it. It was a hard run. We’re all hopeful that adding Neris helps that group, but also that they got the experience from being pushed really hard and they can come back and understand what the workload feels like a little bit more.”
Neris is not only equipped to help the Cubs win games, he brings a big personality to the clubhouse.
“That’s why we targeted him,” Hoyer said. “All the references we got on him were that he does provide real leadership and stability in the bullpen. The fact that he’s done it year after year, pitching for seven months every year, is really critical.”
While he does have closing experience with Philadelphia and Houston, Neris was most effective in a setup role for the Astros last season.
Over 71 games he was 6-3 with a 1.71 ERA, 2 saves and 77 strikeouts in 68.1 innings.
Alzolay emerged as the Cubs' closer last May and really took off on July, when he saved 8 games in 9 opportunities.
A right forearm strain sidelined Alzolay for three weeks in September, but he's healthy and has been effective this spring with 6 scoreless innings in the Cactus League.
New manager Craig Counsell has not announced a closer yet, and he could decide to use Alzolay and Neris in the key relief role.
“We just want to get the 27 outs and then however that happens, ideally, it rolls into something that’s defined, no question about it,” Counsell said. “But it doesn’t have to.”
Merryweather and Leiter are back and will be called on again to get outs in higher leverage situations.
Yency Almonte, Jose Cuas also appear to have relief jobs, and Carl Edwards Jr. is making a bid to return.
Signed to a minor-league deal in late January, Edwards pitched out of the Cubs' bullpen from 2015-19.
On Thursday, Counsell announced Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad will be in the starting rotation to begin the season, with Drew Smyly going to the bullpen.