1:38pm: The option is priced at $7MM, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter), but that value can move significantly north. It’ll cost an extra $50K for every five games finished, beginning at his 10th and ending at his 35th. The needle moves $100K at 40, 45, and 50 games finished. And the option price jumps $200K at numbers 55, 60, and 63. That adds up to $1.2MM in total potential escalators.
9:42am: The Phillies have announced their agreement with Neris, revealing that the contract also contains a club option for the 2021 season. That it’s not a straight one-year pact perhaps explains the reason that the team broke from the file-and-trial approach. If the team ultimately declines the option, Neris would still remain under club control as an arbitration-eligible player.
7:35am: The Phillies have avoided an arbitration hearing with right-hander Hector Neris, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (via Twitter). The last-minute settlement will guarantee Neris a $4.6MM salary for the upcoming season. Neris settled slightly below the midpoint between his own $5.2MM submission and the club’s $4.25MM counter.
Neris, 30, racked up 28 saves as the Phillies’ primary closer in 2019, pitching to a strong 2.93 ERA with averages of 11.8 strikeouts, 3.2 walks and 1.33 home runs per nine innings pitched. He appeared in 68 games and tallied 67 2/3 innings en route to an impressive rebound effort from a down year in 2018. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for a third and final time next winter before reaching free agency in the 2021-22 offseason.
The one-year arrangement represents a rarity in today’s arbitration environment. Virtually all clubs utilize a “file and trial” approach to the process — meaning that once figures are exchanged with a player, negotiations on a one-year settlement cease, leaving the two sides to determine the player’s salary in a hearing. (Multi-year deals are typically still negotiated if there’s mutual interest, however.) Astros outfielder George Springer also avoided arb on a one-year deal last month, although that agreement was seemingly negotiated directly with owner Jim Crane after he dismissed president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow.
The Phillies won an arbitration hearing over All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto yesterday, thus keeping his salary at the $10MM figure they submitted — as opposed to Realmuto’s own $12.4MM submission. With their arbitration cases now resolved, the Phillies should check in with a bottom-line payroll just north of $182.5MM and roughly $203.9MM in luxury tax commitments (per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez). That leaves them just over $4MM shy of the luxury tax barrier.
With Neris’ salary now in place, the last pending arbitration result is that of D-backs closer Archie Bradley (as reflected in MLBTR’s 2020 Arbitration Tracker).
at least these deals give us some room. perhaps there are some others out there who we can give some bigger roster bonuses to
We need more Hectors nowadays
Let’s hope Hector isn’t the Phillies’ Achilles heel.
perhaps adding Hector is a Priam-ble to a solid season
ehh…
sorry
As long as he doesn’t horse around.
Ohh. You’re good. Well done. Likewise to tom below.
err above i suppose
Hector Neris is probably the most underrated Phillie, at least in terms of the team’s fanbase. I’m happy with this deal. Now go extend Realmuto.
Solid closer. Very underrated
Yes. Extend him before OD and that will be a successful offseason that was otherwise quiet.
Quiet? I’d say Wheeler banged the gong. We can quibble over whether or not it was an overpay in this market, but at the very least it was a big deal and a significant get. You just need Nola to stay solid on point, Arrieta to bounceback strong, and Eflin and Velasquez (or Pivetta) to step up. It’s not inconceivable!
David Ortiz sold out.
he also cheated
Neris is a solid closer for the Phillies and certainly the best option they have right now. I do think Velasquez could be a good closer if given the chance.
He’s way better in the powder blue uniform.
Zero data to back it up. I just know it.
I personally don’t like Neris as the closer. All the batters need to do is not swing at the low zone pitches. The splitter will drop out of the zone. I forget which team did that. Neris had to get the ball up and he got creamed. He does have a good fastball, but if the splitter isn’t being chased, it’s hitable. Hector needs another pitch to keep the batters honest. A change or slider would do it IMHO.
Who should be the closer, then?
The Phils may be wondering that as well. They signed Bud Norris for insurance. As I said if Neris can learn a new pitch, it would help.
If Seranthony is healthy, he’s a good candidate in my opinion.
Have long believed the Phillies reliever with the best stuff is Victor Arano. Too bad he got hurt early last year and missed the entire 2019 season. Will be a big boost to the bullpen if both Arano and Seranthony Dominguez are healthy this year. Either of those two could close in the pinch if Neris got hurt or suffered another bout of homer-itis like he did in 2018.
Since last year’s Phillies bullpen resembled a M*A*S*H episode, only without the laugh track, it almost has to be better this year if only by default.
Frankly, I’m more concerned about our starting pitching. Need Nola to be the good version of Nola starting on Day 1. Nola was lousy in the beginning and in the end last year.
Wheeler is a solid #2 or #3 SP. I think we overpaid for him but I’m still glad he’s here. Arrieta? Who knows. Probably no better than a #4 or #5 starter these days.
Eflin was the exact opposite of Nola. He was good early and good late, so maybe that September success will carry over into this year.
Pivetta and Velasquez? I’ve seen enough of these two as starting pitchers. Something missing between the ears, I think, because the stuff is there. Maybe our new pitching coach (Bryan Price) can find out why two guys who throw serious gas haven’t cut it as yet.