Tag Archives: Windy City

Hector Neris Signs One-Year, $9 Million Contract with Chicago Cubs

Posted on by
Reply

Hector Neris is headed to the Windy City.

The 34-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher, a right-handed reliever, has agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Chicago Cubs that includes an option, according to ESPN.

Hector Neris The move helps bolster the back end of Chicago’s bullpen with the top reliever remaining in free agency.

Neris was third among all pitchers in baseball last year with a 1.71 ERA over 68⅓ innings, the best season of his 10-year career.

A $9 million option for 2025 belongs to the team unless Neris reaches 60 games — he has done so six of his past seven full seasons — at which point it turns into a player option. With more than $2.5 million per year available in incentives, the deal can max out at $23.25 million for two years.

The Cubs have slow-played the winter, waiting until mid-January to sign their first free agent — Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga — and now striking with Neris, whose deal is pending a physical. Coming off an 83-79 season, Chicago is chasing National League Central winner the Milwaukee Brewers, which earlier this week signed first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million deal.

Chicago had a middle-of-the-pack bullpen in 2023, and Adbert Alzolay emerged as a reliable closer in his first full season with the team as a reliever. Waiver claim Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. proved useful as well, and Neris will factor heavily into the Cubs’ late-inning mix.

Relying almost exclusively on a fastball and splitter, Neris has grown into a rare sort: the reliable late-inning reliever. Over those past seven seasons, he has averaged 68⅓ innings per season with a 3.14 ERA pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. He is an elite strikeout pitcher, averaging 11.2 per nine innings throughout his career, and has racked up 89 saves.

The Cubs remain in the market for a free agent bat and could potentially reunite with center fielder Cody Bellinger, who thrived in Chicago last year, hitting .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

Eric Hosmer Agrees to One-Year Contract with Chicago Cubs

Posted on by
Reply

Eric Hosmer is headed to the Windy City…

The Chicago Cubs filled a need at first base and designated hitter, giving the 33-year-old half-Cuban American free agent a one-year contract, according to ESPN.

Eric Hosmer, Chicago will only have to pay Hosmer the minimum salary, according to ESPN sources, as he still has three years and $39 million left on a contract he signed with the San Diego Padres in 2018.

Hosmer was traded from the Padres to the Boston Red Sox last season, not long after San Diego acquired Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals.

Hosmer was released by the Red Sox at the end of the year.

Hosmer has a career .764 OPS while spending his best seasons with the Kansas City Royals who he helped to a World Series title in 2015.

Two years later, he signed an 8-year, $144 million deal with San Diego which runs through 2025. The Padres are paying most of that remaining salary.

Hosmer figures to see time mostly at designated hitter as well as first base. The team also has holdover Patrick Wisdom, who can play first, as well as prospect Matt Mervis. Mervis hit 36 home runs combined in three different levels of the minors last season, but it’s not clear if he’ll make the team out of spring training.

Last season, Hosmer had a hot April — compiling an OPS over 1.000 — but cooled off for the final months of the year. From May to October, his OPS was just .636.

The signing is part of a longer term plan by the Cubs who are attempting to improve in 2023 after a 74 win season but also have an eye on competing at a higher level in the coming years. The deal should be viewed similar to Cody Bellinger‘s one-year contract — as a bridge to younger prospects who aren’t quite ready for the majors.

Along with Mervis potentially taking over at first base, the team is hoping centerfield, where Bellinger plays, will be manned by Pete Crow-Armstrong soon. He was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets in July 2021.

Hosmer joins Bellinger, shortstop Dansby Swanson, pitcher Jameson Taillon and catcher Tucker Barnhart as key offseason acquisitions for Chicago.

Benjamin Levy Aguilar Upped to Series Regular on NBC’s “Chicago P.D.”

Posted on by
Reply

There’s more Windy City moments in Benjamin Levy Aguilar’s future…

The Guatemalan actor has been promoted to series regular for Season 10 of NBC’s Chicago P.D.

Benjamin Levy AguilarHe will reprise the role of Dante Torres who, fresh off patrol, comes to Intelligence as a rookie.

He made his debut as the character in the Season 9 episode titled “New Guard,” but first appeared in the series as Franco Chavaro two seasons prior.

All-new episodes of Chicago P.D. are set to premiere on September 21 at 10:00 pm following Chicago Med (8:00 pm) and Chicago Fire (9:00 pm) as part of the network’s “One Chicago” lineup.

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group and Wolf Entertainment.

Aguilar is best known for his breakout role on Fox’s Filthy Rich where he portrayed Antonio Rivera. He most recently recurred in Netflix’s The Woman in the House Across The Street From The Girl With The Window as Rex Bakke opposite Kristen Bell.

Yan Gomes Agrees to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract with Chicago Cubs

Posted on by
Reply

Yan Gomes is headed to the Windy City…

The 34-year-old Brazilian professional baseball catcher and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to on a two-year, $13 million contract, according to ESPN sources.

Yan GomesGomes hit a combined .252 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs between the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics last season. Washington traded Gomes to the Oakland A’s at the trading deadline.

He threw out 31% of attempted base stealers last season (19 of 43) and had a .990 fielding percentage.

In Chicago, Gomes likely will back up starter Willson Contreras.

For his career, Gomes has a .247 average, 117 home runs and 416 RBIs in 10 major league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Cleveland Guardians, Washington and Oakland.

Leury Garcia Signs One-Year Deal with the Chicago White Sox

Posted on by
Reply

Leury Garcia is staying in the Windy City…

The 28-year-old Dominican professional baseball player has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Chicago White Sox.

Leury Garcia

Garcia gets $3.25 million in 2020, with the White Sox holding a $3.5 million option for 2021 with a $250,000 buyout. He avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.25-million contract in January.

Garcia hit .279 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and a team-leading 93 runs for Chicago last year.

He made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers on April 6, 2013.