MLB Hot Stove Signings: Phillies close to bringing back Pat Neshek
Neshek and the Phillies are closing on a two-year contract
By
Mike Axisa
•
1 min read
The Philadelphia Phillies, despite losing 96 games in 2017, and prepared to invest in their bullpen. The club is close to bringing back veteran setup man Pat Neshek on a two-year contract.
When complete, Pat Neshek's deal with the Phillies will be 2 years, plus a club option, at $16.25 million, according to a source
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) December 11, 2017
The Houston Astros traded Neshek to the Phillies last offseason, and he started the season with Philadelphia before being flipped to the Colorado Rockies for prospects at the trade deadline. Neshek was the Phillies' lone All-Star Game representative in 2017.
Neshek, 37, threw 62 1/3 innings with a 1.59 ERA (286 ERA+) this past season, including 40 1/3 innings with a 1.12 ERA (381 ERA+) with the Phillies before the trade. The sidewinder has been a workhorse the last four seasons, appearing in at least 60 games each year from 2014-17.
It would seem strange that a rebuilding team like the Phillies would spend top of the market dollars on a setup man, but there is something to best said for respectability. In fact, the 'Stros originally signed Neshek back in 2014, when they were coming off a 92-loss season. Changing the culture from losing to winning has to start somewhere.
