Former Atlanta reliever Hector Neris has found a new landing spot, signing with the Angels after his failed week in Atlanta. Neris made only two appearances out of the bullpen with the Braves before the team opted to move on. The reliever allowed five earned runs with his first failed appearance costing Atlanta a chance at an Opening Day win.
The fact that Neris went from a high-leverage appearance on Opening Day to cut days later tells you everything you need to know about this Atlanta bullpen.
What is interesting about Neris signing with the Angels is the continued theme of former Braves following manager Ron Washington to the franchise. Currently, former Braves Ian Anderson, Travis d'Arnaud, Nick Lopez, and Jorge Soler are all a part of the Angels roster. It continues a theme from the past handful of seasons of consistent trades or signing former players for the two teams.
It is clear that Atlanta's front office maintains a great relationship with both the Angels' front office and the Athletics, from which the team acquired both Sean Murphy and Matt Olson in recent years.
Hector Neris Landing with the Angels Isn't a Surprise
Neris will look to turn back the clock and attempt to take advantage of a fresh start on a roster with lower expectations. For Atlanta, the search for reliable arms continues with manager Brian Snitker still having no idea who he can trust on any given night. It has been one of the more frustrating developments of a miserable start to the 2025 season.
There is hope that former Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel will become an answer to some of these issues. However, it is undeniably clear that even if Kimbrel is able to turn back the clock a bit, one piece isn't enough to fix this bullpen. The Braves are going to have to be creative both in-house and working trades to improve the unit.
The team's offensive concerns are going to take care of themselves in time. The same cannot be said of a bullpen that badly needs reinforcements. The fact that Atlanta so willingly moved off Neris, with this being their biggest concern, speaks to where the veteran's career has fallen and what must happen if it is going to continue in L.A.