Cardinals remain linked to two former Astros relievers

Hector Neris

Hector Neris made a brief appearance for the Philadelphia with the Phillies in 2014, but he played full-time for the team starting in 2015. Neris went on to play for them for a total of seven seasons before he signed a two-year dal with the Houston Astros in 2021. He was the primary closer for the Phillies in 2017 and 2019, and he racked up a total of fifty-four saves in those two seasons.

The former closer turns thirty-five in June, so a one or two-year deal is likely. Neris turned down an $8.5 million player option from the Astros; he is likely looking to command a deal with an average annual value north of $10 million.

During his brief two-year stint with the Astros, Neris pitched 133.2 innings, had a 2.69 ERA, struck out 156 batters, and had a WHIP of 1.032. His 2023 season was stellar; he finished with a 1.71 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.054 WHIP, and he struck out 10.1 batters per nine innings. The huge discrepancy between his ERA and his FIP indicates some good luck on his part and a stout defense behind him. He walked a near-career high amount of batters (11.4% walk rate), but he maintained low hit and home run rates.

Neris is no stranger to high-leverage situations. He has an extensive history as a closer, and most of his work was done in high-leverage situations last year for the Astros. According to Fangraphs, Neris faced 116 batters in important situations. He held batters to a .131/.246/.232 slash line while giving up three home runs. He struck out thirty-three batters to thirteen walks.

Hector Neris would immediately be a boost to the team's bullpen. He comes with some concerns given his high FIP, but hopefully the Cardinals' defense returns to form next year. With multiple Gold Glovers across the infield, Neris should continue to see success late in games. He could be used in tandem with Ryan Helsley at the back end of the bullpen, and the two could split "closer" duties.

Phil Maton

Phil Maton is another name that has been tossed around in signing with the Cardinals. Maton, thirty, was also most recently a member of the Houston Astros. One thing that makes both Maton and Neris attractive is their playoff pedigrees. Both players have won a World Series and played major roles in the Astros' victory in 2022.

Phil Maton is a name to watch. He's a free agent. He's from Illinois. I'm always hesitant to point out the hometown link unless there's really something to it. Look at what he's done for the Astros' bullpen, and it's easy to see the role he'd have with the Cardinals -- and his October pedigree, too.

Clearly, the Cardinals are interested in Phil Maton. He is local, he's talented, and he's experienced. Maton has a career 4.25 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.326 WHIP, and he has struck out batters at a 26.4% clip for his career. In 2023, he pitched sixty-six innings with a 3.00 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.121 WHIP, and struck out 27% of the batters he faced. Maton's career walk rate (9.2%) is significantly better than Neris's, but Neris strikes out batters more frequently.

Maton hasn't been used as a closer in his career, as he only has two saves to his name; however, he is still familiar with high-leverage situations. Most of his usage last year was in low-leverage situations according to Fangraphs, but he still saw 61 batters in high-leverage situations.

In those at-bats, Maton struggled. Batters slashed .342/.533/.390 and he walked two times as many batters as he struck out (fifteen vs. seven). Should Maton be signed this offseason by the Cardinals, he likely won't be used as a closer. I could see him being used as a bridge to Gallegos, Romero, or Helsley.

While both Hector Neris and Phil Maton would be improvements for the Cardinals' bullpen, I would prefer Hector Neris. He has serious strikeout numbers, and he has plenty of strong experience late in games. While Maton would be a good signing, he doesn't have the resume that the team needs late in games.