Right-handed reliever Hector Neris and the Cubs have agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract that includes an option, sources told ESPN. the back end of Chicago’s bullpen, and the top reliever will remain on the free agent market.

The 34-year-old Neris ranked third among baseball pitchers with a 1.71 ERA in 68⅓ innings last year, the best season of his 10-year career.

The $9 million option for 2025 is with the team unless Neris reaches 60 games — he has done six of the past seven full seasons — at which point it becomes a player option. The deal provides more than $2.5 million in annual incentives, up to a maximum of $23.25 million over two years.

The Cubs had a slow winter, not signing their first free agent until mid-January – Japanese lefty Shota Imonaga – and now adding Nerys, whose deal is pending a physical. After the 1983-79 season, Chicago is chasing National League Central champion Milwaukee, which earlier this week signed first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million contract. .

Chicago’s bullpen is middle-of-the-pack in 2023, and Adbert Alzolay has emerged as a reliable closer in reliever duty in his first full season with the team. Waiver statement Julian Meriwether and Mark Leiter Jr. have also proven useful, and Nerys will play a big role in the Cubs’ late-game mix.

Relying almost entirely on fastballs and pitches, Neris has developed into a rare type: a reliable late-inning reliever. He pitched for Philadelphia and Houston over the past seven seasons, averaging 68⅓ innings per season and a 3.14 ERA. He is an elite strikeout pitcher, averaging 11.2 strikes per nine innings over his career and recording 89 saves.

The Cubs are still in the market for free-agent bats and could reunite with center fielder Cody Bellinger, who had a stellar season in Chicago last year, hitting .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers. home runs, 97 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.