Neris declined his $8.5 million player option for 2024 after tying for the league lead with a career-high 31 holds last season. The 34-year-old had yet another solid season in a setup role with metrics that were fairly consistent with recent outputs. One notable improvement lied within the quality of contact he allowed, as Neris' 28.0% hard-hit rate was a career-best and 16.7 percentage point drop from 2022's career-worst mark. This correlated with an 86.5 mph average exit velocity allowed that was in the top nine percent of the league. Neris also had the highest WPA for a non-closer at 3.82, which was tied for fifth overall among qualified relievers. Look for the veteran to open the year as the top setup man in front of Adbert Alzolay after signing a one-year deal with the Cubs in January. Read Past Outlooks