3 remaining free agents the Phillies should sign, 2 to avoid

4) The Phillies should know better than anyone that Hector Neris is not the answer

Finding a closer is paramount for the Phillies this offseason, or at least finding a reliever who can pitch late in games. Hector Neris converted 84 saves during his eight-year Phillies tenure, racking up as many as 28 in a single season. Still, his inconsistency throughout his tenure there, and his lack of closing experience in Houston, make him less than appealing for the 2024 Phillies.

Neris is coming off a career year in Houston, posting a 1.71 ERA in 71 appearances and 68.1 innings of work. While that is obviously an incredible year, the underlying metrics suggest he got quite lucky.

Neris had a 3.35 xERA, a 3.83 FIP, and a 4.45 xFIP this past season, suggesting he could fail to come close to the lofty expectations his ERA will set in 2024. He's still a solid reliever undoubtedly, but isn't the lights-out guy the Phillies need.

There are several relievers the Phillies should target before Neris with Hader obviously topping the list. Going back to the now 34-year-old Neris coming off a career year he won't come close to replicating just because they have a history with him is not the right move.