The Colorado Rockies entered Wednesday's game 4 1/2 games up on the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot, giving them sufficient reason to be serious about the whole "making the postseason" thing. As such, the Rockies went ahead and acted like a legit contender by making a trade for a new setup man. 

That pitcher? Philadelphia Phillies righty Pat Neshek, whom was acquired at the cost of prospects Jose Gomez, J.D. Hammer, and Alejandro Requena, the teams announced:

A free agent come winter, Neshek has heretofore put together a high-quality season. In 40 innings, he's tallied a 1.12 ERA and 9.0 K/BB ratio -- rates that would each represent new career-bests. It's worth noting that Neshek has historically been ineffective against left-handed batters, though not in 2017 -- not so far, anyway.

Neshek's job is multifaceted: to help out in the late innings, yes, but also to take pressure off Rockies relievers Greg Holland and Jake McGee, each of whom has dealt with injury issues in recent years.

Gomez was the only of the three prospects the Rockies surrendered who was ranked in MLB.com's top 30 for the organization. His scouting report states he profiles best as a utilityman. Hammer, meanwhile, has struggled in his 12 relief appearances in high Class A after dominating the lower minors. Then there's Requena, a 20-year-old starter currently pitching well in Class A.