Hector Neris, who arrived in Houston as a free agent this winter, is already making his presence felt as a veteran mentor. Continuing a tradition that began while playing for the Phillies, the 32-year-old invited 60 of his Latino minor-league teammates out to dinner Tuesday night, footing the bill while also providing transportation to and from the restaurant.
Heris, who joined the Phillies as an international free agent in 2010 after being discovered by scouts in his native Dominican Republic, encouraged his teammates to speak freely, soaking up his knowledge and experience by asking as many questions as possible.
“It’s something I went through, so I just feel good about being that person that can treat them to a meal when I know they don’t always have that opportunity. It’s something I can do to make them feel good,” Neris told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. “I’ve done it every year in Philadelphia, so when I came over here, it was kind of like, ‘Why not continue doing it over here as well’?”
Neris hosted his teammates at a Colombian restaurant near the Astros’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach. The 6’2” right-hander has also made himself available to teammates whenever they want to talk, taking a number of young pitchers under his wing including Jose Urquidy, Enoli Paredes and Bryan Abreu. “He’s fit right in,” said manager Dusty Baker. “He’s gotten some good reports from a lot of the players, especially Latin players, on the city of Houston and the people. He’s coming to a winning team. He’s happy as a lark.”
The Astros have high expectations for Neris, who figures to play an important setup role as the bridge to closer Ryan Pressley in the ninth inning. Neris, who signed a two-year, $17-million contract in November, owns a lifetime 3.42 ERA with 84 saves over 405 MLB appearances, all with Philadelphia.
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