The Philadelphia Phillies have had a relatively quiet offseason, most likely by design.
After earning a reputation for making blockbuster moves, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowkski didn’t change much about the roster this winter despite a disappointing playoff exit in 2024.
The team did trade for starter Jesús Luzardo and it signed free agents Jordan Romano and Max Kepler, but otherwise, they are largely running it back in 2025.
However, there’s still time for another move with some impactful free agents lingering on the market. Writing up the “last free agent” additions for every team in The Athletic, Chad Jennings linked the Phillies to a reunion with veteran reliever Héctor Neris.
“The free-agent market really doesn’t offer any other ideal fits (for the Phillies),” Jennings noted. “Neris at least would give them one more veteran arm, and a familiar arm at that. He would fit about as well as anyone.”
The Phillies first signed Neris as a non-drafted free agent in 2010 and he pitched for the team from 2014 to 2021. His best season within that span was the 2016 campaign, which saw the righty maintain a 2.58 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 80.1 innings.
But Neris’ best season might have come against the Phillies, after he joined the Houston Astros and earned a World Series championship while defeating his former team in 2022. Last season, he started out with the Chicago Cubs before being released and rejoining the Astros in August. Across all of 2024, he was hit for a 4.10 ERA and posted a -0.2 WAR.
But a bounceback with the Phillies on a small deal could make sense, as he’d offer a veteran presence and familiar face to a bullpen that is relatively set. Spotrac projects Neris for a one-year, $5.1 million market value, so the Phillies might see him as a low-risk final addition to the roster before spring training.
“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,” Jennings recommended.
Phillies fans might have been hoping for more of an impact in a final roster move, but a mild tweak could be all Dombrowski has in mind.
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