Disgraced former Cubs reliever implodes in first appearance for new team

The Chicago Cubs brought Hector Neris in ahead of the 2024 season in an effort to bolster the bullpen and bring a veteran presence to the mix - one with extensive experience in big spots and late innings.

That one-year, $9 million deal didn't even last the summer, with the Cubs releasing Neris on Aug. 20 after control issues and just a lack of reliability proved to be major issues for the right-hander. He latched back on with his former team, the Houston Astros, down the stretch and signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves in March.

Almost inexplicably, Braves manager Brian Snitker went to Neris in relief of ace Chris Sale in the team's Opening Day matchup against the San Diego Padres instead of numerous other options - and things immediately went off the rails, serving up a game-tying home run to Gavin Sheets.

Before the book closed on Neris, he did not record an out, allowing three runs on three hits (the Sheets' long ball and back-to-back singles) before Snitker brought in left-hander Aaron Bummer.

It was an inauspicious start to the season for Neris, who, as we all know, wasn't exactly the epitome of consistency in 2024 either. His 1.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio marked a career-low and he posted a WHIP north of 1.500 for the first time in his 11-year MLB career. He rarely turned in clean appearances and had fans pulling their hair out every time he took the mound in a critical spot.

This winter, Jed Hoyer really dialed in his focus on adding arms to the bullpen mix, bringing in numerous veterans like Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Colin Rea and Ryan Pressly, among others like non-roster invitee Brad Keller. That stood in stark contrast to the approach we saw the prior winter, where it very much felt like all their eggs were in the Neris basket.

In the Cubs' domestic Opening Day win, we got a glimpse of Pressly and Thielbar - and both are expected to be critical pieces for Chicago as the season goes on, with Pressly pairing up with right-hander Porter Hodge in the ninth and Thielbar representing the Cubs' only left-handed relief option on the 26-man roster.