Free agent reliever Pat Neshek is officially back with the Phillies just four months after being traded to the Rockies. The Phillies on Friday announced a two-year deal with the free-agent righty, who will reportedly be guaranteed $16.25MM in the pact. The contract also comes with a club option for a third year.
Neshek, a client of Meister Sports Management, will reportedly receive a $4MM signing bonus in addition to salaries of $5.75MM in both 2018 and 2019. The option is said to be valued at $7MM and comes with a $750K buyout. The deal also includes a $500K assignment bonus in the event of a trade.
The Phillies are a familiar club for Neshek, who spent the first three-plus months of last season in Philadelphia before the team traded him to Colorado in late July. The 37-year-old Neshek excelled with both teams in 2017 and earned the second All-Star nod of his career thanks to his output with the Phillies. In all, the right-hander tossed 62 1/3 innings of 1.59 ERA, with a similarly minuscule FIP (1.86), and struck out 69 batters while issuing just six walks. While Neshek only managed a 36.4 percent groundball rate, he somewhat offset that with an impressive infield fly percentage (15.5).
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Last year was the latest in a long line of successful campaigns for the sidearming Neshek, who has typically been terrific since he debuted with the Twins in 2006. Even though he doesn’t throw particularly hard, Neshek has pitched to a 2.75 ERA/3.50 FIP combination across 445 2/3 innings in Minnesota, San Diego, Oakland, St. Louis, Houston and Philly, also posting 9.03 K/9 against 2.54 BB/9 and limiting home runs despite a low grounder rate (33.2 percent).
The grizzled Neshek will once again serve as the elder statesman in what’s currently a fairly young Phillies bullpen in 2018. Thanks largely to his tremendous half-season production in 2017, an otherwise less-than-stellar Phillies relief corps finished with respectable rankings in ERA (14th) and fWAR (13th).
Jon Heyman of FanRag reported that Neshek had a pair of offers in hand (Twitter link). Jerry Crasnick of ESPN added (via Twitter) that the Phillies and Neshek were moving toward a deal. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com tweeted that the Phillies could announce the signing this week. Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported the exact total (Twitter link). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the details on the contract (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I don’t get his return to the Phils if that is what is happening. Towards the end of his time with the club last season it seemed he wanted out and to play for a contender. The Phils will be better next season, but in no way are they playoff favorites.
He developed a cheesesteak addiction.
Lmao
He developed a money addiction!
I never really got the impression he wanted out of Philly. It was more that he knew a deal would happen,and he wanted to get it over with.
He said in an interview with jim Salisbury I believe? He liked it in philly
Clay Buchholz said the same thing.
your point?
Philly is a good place to play.
Unbanned? Congrats.
Got a new IP address.
Banned at Fangraphs (IP ) earlier today.
Oh, you’re back.
Don’t blink.
I’m sure that the IP address was the only thing they banned and you’re safe now
Because you’re a loser.
That’s it’s not a big surprise he’s back
Caseys Partner I Got a new IP address.
Banned at Fangraphs (IP ) earlier today.
Did you tell your PO? They like to know those things.
Can someone get rid of him again? 99% of people get along fine here. Id be embarrassed if I was kicked from a website like this, not come back.
Pretty sure they did ban him again. He hasn’t posted again since his rants yesterday. I’m sure it will just give him something to whine about on his disturbing blog. Egomaniacal sociopaths don’t get embarrassed.
Or hold your breath !
Well not everyone need to sign with playoff favorites. Not everyone needs to be like Kevin Durant or Giancarlo Stanton and join a ready made title contender. Some people actually have the fortitude to help build a team into a contender rather than taking shortcuts.
He said the opposite. After the trade, he said the Phils were one of his favorite clubhouses ever and he would love to return in the future.
He knows that he will just be dealt to a couple contender.
I was hoping neshek would be a cog of a revamped cubs bullpen. I hope that they’re the other team.
I like Cishek and Shaw going to the north side. They’re younger and could possibly be had at a cheaper rate. Peter Moylan looks good too.
Love this, great fit
Good lord the price of middle relief pitchers has sky rocketed.
Exactly what I was going to say.
Me 2!
16+ mil for Neshek? that’s a good get for him. I liked him in Houston. always wish him the best.
Wait until you see what Klentak gives Jeremy Hellickson and Clay Buchholz.
God, shut up dude – youre being annoying and wrong all over this thread
True
Good get for the Phillies. I was hoping he’d come back to St. Louis.
What’s interesting is not so much bringing him back but the two year deal. Wonder if they have something else up their sleeves?
Just curious. What else would they have up their sleeves? Not at all saying you’re wrong I just wonder what you mean by that.
……
He meant: “I wonder if Klentak has his head up his rectum”
I think it means Phillies might be a dark horse for Wade Davis.
The Phillies are probably looking forward to the next free agent class. They have money to spend and no long-term contracts right now. With a deep farm system and money to burn, they’ve spent their entire rebuild prepping for a 2018-2019 spending/trading spree.
He was their best reliever of the season – in half the amount of time. He should be closing in 2018.
Unless they bring in another player from the outside he’ll be the highest paid player on the team. A 37 year old middle reliever.
Lol and people say it’s impossible to sign a guy you traded
No one says that. Many people called Chapman back to NYY immediately after the trade.
“No one says that.” Is that the statement you are making? Cuz I got links that will destroy that claim.
Always exception to the rule!
Still proves my point that trading a guy doesn’t bar you from signing him.
i was really hoping for a reunion with the Twins. Relief has gotten expensive
ROFLOL!
Klentak really earning his money. I’m sure Phillies fans are completely wowed by watching this moron repeat last years blunders all over again.
Is Jeremy Hellickson still available? Not for long! Clay Buchholz? Yankees, don’t let Clay Buchholz get away!
Except Neshek was really awesome last year, a year you apparently didn’t watch one inning of.
Pat Neshek was one of the best relievers, last year. Based on comments I’ve seen from you, you must not watch baseball.
He pitched his home games at Citizens Bank Park and Coors Field and gave up no HRs at either.
Exactly!
Nice post Caseys Partner. Neshek was awful right? 1.59 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 10.0 K/9. 0.9 BB.9, etc
Phillies were awesome right?
Phillies were/are trying to win division last/this year?
But they will be 2-3 years from now, when Neshek will still be around and providing quality innings. He isn’t a threat for quick or major deterioration in performance because he doesn’t rely on velocity.
The Phillies should be going for the first pick in the 2019 MLB draft. They’ve been rebuilding since Oct 2011 and have picked first once. They should have done that at least four times by now.
2019? They are going to be a wild card contender this year. After that, a World Series contender with Machado and Harper.
REAL Phillies fans are actually quite ok with it. I’m certainly ok with the move. You however are the type of “fan” that gives the rest of us Phillies fans a bad name. A loser with a chip on his shoulder that gets satisfaction from annoying the sh*t out of people. Maybe it’s time you took a hike. Or do you seriously not understand that nobody on this board can stand your whiney b*tch ass?
Have you ever won an argument on this site? Or even ever?
Touché !
Smart move by the Phillies, was wondering when they’d start going off in free agency. Neshek is a fine get at that price, especially if he’s elite again like he was in 2017.
Massive overpay unless they have other major moves coming to actually compete this year
Klentak will flip him at the deadline for two “prospects” no one at Baseball America has ever heard of.
If he were going to do that, it would be a one year deal. They said they are switching to contending mode.
Phillies nation site reporting orioles want sixto sanchez, scott kingery, perhaps freddy galvis for machardo plus an extension required.
Klentak probably would do that for “machardo” and MacPhail wouldn’t notice.
That would be a horrifying trade for the Phillies.
Sanchez, Hernandez, and one of our mlb starters not named Nola would work. Hernandez plays 2b and Baltimore moves schoop to 3b.
Relief pitchers have taken on greater importance in the last decade. Starters are no longer expected to go seven to nine innings. They now go as hard as they can for as long as they can, making bullpens much more important. That raises salaries for all relievers.
I have no qualms with this signing. His peripherals supported his numbers last season and it’s not much money at all year to year.
I was hoping the Cardinals could have snagged him. His 2014 season in St. Louis was amazing, and the Cardinals could have used some more bullpen help.
I agree wholeheartedly !
Good for Neshek, steep price for a middle reliever
He’s a set up guy
Great player and an even better guy. Glad to see Pat back in Philly!