Jed Hoyer and the Cubs figured it was as good a time as ever to allow a prospect to wet their beak in the majors.

If that came at the expense of a beloved and respected veteran inside the clubhouse, then so be it.

“We’re at the time of the year, I think that just really trying to take a look at different guys in different roles, and some new guys up here,” Hoyer said before Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the Tigers. “And it made sense to bring up [rookie Jack] Neely, and potentially look at some other guys in different roles in the bullpen.”

[WATCH: Jed Hoyer on why they moved on from Héctor Neris]

That’s why, on Saturday, the team placed Héctor Neris on waivers. He was informed Saturday after the Cubs’ win over the Blue Jays.

“We talked to Hector Saturday after the game, told him what the process entailed, and then you just kind of got to wait and see what happens,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And he understood, and was very professional about it, throughout the whole thing.”

Neris even pitched the 9th inning in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays, allowing 2 hits with a strikeout. After he went unclaimed, the team designated him for assignment and he became a free agent.

The move nulled Neris’ 2025 club option, which would have turned into a player option if he had 60 appearances. He had 46 before he was DFA’d.

“No,” Hoyer said when asked if the contract situation factored into the decision.

Last year, the Angels placed multiple players on waivers to squeak under the luxury tax threshold. Around baseball, many are wondering if that could be a new trend and if the Cubs looked to do something similar with Neris and other veterans on expiring contracts like Drew Smyly or Kyle Hendricks.

“Yeah, I don’t see that happening,” Hoyer said.

The decision to move on from Neris and bring up Neely, Hoyer and the Cubs insist is purely developmental — they want to have Neely pitching in the big leagues and prove whether he can be a factor in the future.

“Whether it’s Neely or other guys we want to take a look at in different roles, I think that was important to do this time of year,” Hoyer said.

[MORE: What the Cubs hope Jack Neely can bring to their bullpen]

Could there be more moves to bring up other young prospects soon?

“Nothing scheduled,” Hoyer said. “But I think we’ll keep looking at it and thinking about other places. You want to make sure you’re going to give guys an actual opportunity and not come up and not have that.

“But nothing scheduled, no.”