CHICAGO – The Cubs signed Héctor Neris over the offseason with the goal of adding veteran leadership and a durable arm to the late-inning mix. He delivered in both regards, but Neris was forced into the closer’s job out of necessity and endured a rocky ride in that role.

On Tuesday, the North Siders opted to move in a new direction, designating Neris for assignment and releasing the reliever after he cleared waivers, according to multiple reports. Relief prospect Jack Neely (No. 18 on Pipeline’s Cubs rankings) is reportedly being promoted from Triple-A Iowa.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers was first with the news on Neris and Neely. The Cubs have not confirmed the moves.

Neely was acquired from the Yankees, along with infielder Ben Cowles (Pipeline’s No. 30 Cubs prospect), in exchange for reliever Mark Leiter Jr. ahead of the July 30 Trade Deadline. Since joining Triple-A Iowa, the 24-year-old Neely has logged 6 2/3 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts, one walk and three saves in three appearances.

Armed with a slider and four-seamer – fastballs logged by Statcast have averaged 95.6 mph this season – Neely has turned in a 2.42 ERA in 37 games between Double-A Somerset, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Triple-A Iowa this year. In 48 1/3 innings, the righty has racked up 76 strikeouts compared to 17 walks.

The Cubs were going to need to add Neely (an 11th-round pick by the Yankees in the 2021 Draft) to the 40-man roster in the offseason to remove the prospect from the Rule 5 Draft player pool. By promoting the right-hander now, Chicago can take a long look at him against MLB competition as the team looks ahead to the ‘25 bullpen picture.

Neris, 35, was signed to a one-year contract worth $9 million by the Cubs last offseason, following a run of three straight seasons with at least 70 appearances. Notably, the righty’s deal included a $9 million team option that would have converted into a player option at 60 appearances or 45 games finished (plus a clean bill of health). The decision to release Neris eliminates the option, even if another team signs the veteran as a free-agent before the end of this season.

This season for the Cubs, Neris made 46 appearances with 33 games finished and 17 saves, moving into the closer’s role after Adbert Alzolay was shelved due to injury early in the year. Neris turned in a 3.89 ERA, but his outings were consistently fraught with drama and the solid ERA belied the underlying numbers.

Neris’ strikeout rate (23.5%) and walk rate (13.3%) were both the worst marks of his 11-year career with the Phillies, Astros and Cubs. After allowing a 28% hard-hit rate in ‘23, Neris gave up a 43.4% hard-hit rate this season. Neris had a career-high 1.52 WHIP, plus a 4.55 expected ERA (via Statcast).

That said, Neris quickly found a home within the Cubs’ clubhouse and stepped up behind the scenes as a veteran voice. His last 18 appearances featured a 2.60 ERA, helping Chicago’s bullpen overall find some footing. The Cubs’ relief corps has led the Majors in bullpen ERA dating back to both June 1 (2.69) and July 1 (2.09).