Pat Neshek Returns to the Phillies

by
December 11, 2017

Last fall, the Phillies purchased Pat Neshek from the Astros and exercised his $6.5 million option. He was easily their best reliever, and then he netted the team three prospects at the trade deadline. Now he’s back — for two years and $16.5 million (and a $500k trade kicker this time!) as Ken Rosenthal is reporting — and the Phillies hope he can continue his good work for the team.

Last year’s production was a high water mark for the pitcher, thanks to a change in philosophy against lefties, perhaps. He had his best career numbers against southpaws last year, thanks to a shift in his use of the slider. He not only used it more against lefties than he had since his first full year in the league, but he also varied its location better.

Take a look at his slider locations to lefties in 2016 (left), when they hit for a .379 wOBA against him, and then those locations in 2017 (right), when they hit for a .261 wOBA against him.

Wait a second. The bad year is the one where he located the slider to two spots and mixed it up. Last year he was awesome against lefties, and he basically threw it a ton and down the middle against them. Weird.

No matter. Against righties, Neshek has been consistently great. He has the sixth-best wOBA against right-handed hitters over the last five years.

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Maybe he’ll only be dominant against righties, and then be traded again. That’ll be just fine.





 

With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Follow him on Twitter @enosarris if you can handle the sandwiches and inanity.

4 Comments
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Kraken
8 years ago

I’m interested in this signing. I wonder whether Phillies management wants him as a veteran leader, or as a trade chip down the road. I can’t see the Phillies needing an All-Star reliever purely for the purposes of winning ballgames.

2
Brian Schwartz
8 years ago
Reply to  Kraken

The Phillies’ lineup was a heck of a lot better after calling up Rhys Hoskins, and there’s more help coming with the two top prospects probably ready at some point in 2018. Contending in 2018 is probably a longshot but I’m sure they’re hoping to contend in 2019.

3
Dave TMember since 2016
8 years ago

The samples of LH hitters are 94 batters faced in 2017 and 55 in 2016. I’m dubious about drawing any meaningful conclusions on splits from such small samples.

Highlighting that, I’m seeing that one big difference is 1 HR to a LH hitter in 2017 for a 3.2% HR/FB rate. In 2016, it was 4 HR’s for a 20% HR/FB rate.

Or, said a bit differently, here’s Neshek wOBA allowed to LH hitters by year for the past 4 seasons:

2017: .261
2016: .379
2015: .328
2014: .233

It’s all over the place, presumably in large part because it’s less than 100 batters every year, and it looks like (at least by wOBA allowed) that he was better against LH hitters in 2014.

1
Seuss2004Member since 2018
8 years ago

1. Spend money this year, when you have plenty and it doesn’t harm your ability to sign anyone you really want.
2. Trade at the deadline said assets for prospects
3. Have money available for premier free agent class, plus acquired prospects.

I’m bullish on the Phils, but there’s no way they should be “in it” for now with the youth on that roster.

0