Pat Neshek

Injuries prevented Neshek from immediately making an impact, but after finally being activated July 1, he provided the sort of numbers the Phillies were envisioning when they signed him to a two-year deal. He finished the season with five saves and a 2.59 ERA. He’s unlikely to be the primary closer in Philadelphia this season, but he’ll be fairly high up the depth chart, and manager Gabe Kapler has demonstrated an indifference to traditional bullpen roles. That could benefit Neshek, as he could earn a handful of saves even if he’s never Kapler’s most trusted reliever. There are some red flags for the veteran, however, including his age (38) and his underlying stats. Neshek struck out just 14.9% of batters and generated a low 38.0% groundball rate, leading to a 3.61 FIP and 4.99 xFIP. A bet on Neshek is a bet that his funky, sidearm delivery will help him stave off aging and continue to beat his peripherals.

The sidearmer turned in his best season yet at 36 years of age. His 1.86 FIP was the sixth-lowest in baseball among pitchers with at least 60 innings, trailing only Kenley Jansen (1.31), Craig Kimbrel (1.42), Roberto Osuna (1.74), Chad Green (1.75) and Tommy Kahnle (1.83). Neshek's ERA more than doubled after being traded from Philadelphia to Colorado, but he was still excellent given the setting (2.45 ERA), and the peripherals were even better after the move (24:1 K:BB). Overall, Neshek walked just 2.6 percent of the batters he faced while striking out 29.4 percent, and rarely were the balls put in play against him hit hard (24.4 percent hard-hit rate). Neshek, who re-signed with Philadelphia in the offseason, has never been given an extended look in a closing role (eight career saves), but that could change in 2018 if Hector Neris gets hurt or pitches his way out of the job.

Neshek put up solid numbers for the Astros as a right-handed matchup pitcher in 2016, with a 3.06 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He struck out 43 hitters in 47 innings over 60 appearances, roughly in line with his career average. Neshek's sidearm delivery has helped him be particularly nasty against right-handed hitters, who have hit just .181 against him over his career, and just .169 in 2016. He can thank his slider for his especially good 2016 numbers, as he threw 54 percent sliders in 2016, up from 39 percent in 2015 and 34 percent in 2014. The fact that Neshek, who recently turned 36 years old, has relied more on deception and movement than velocity throughout his career has likely helped him stay effective with age. Looking forward, Neshek was traded to Philadelphia in the offseason, where he will represent a veteran bullpen arm on a young, rebuilding team. He may have a shot at closing should a younger Phillies reliever fail to emerge, but Hector Neris is the favorite to begin the year in the ninth-inning role.

Signed by the Astros to a two-year deal last offseason, Neshek was one of the club's most dependable relievers in 2015. He logged the second-most appearances (66) on the team behind fellow reliever Will Harris (68) and frequently pitched in high-leverage situations. The 35-year-old ranked fifth in baseball with 28 holds while maintaining a respectable 3.62 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 51:12 K:BB over 54.2 innings. He did not allow a walk over the first two months of the season, issuing his first in his 25th appearance June 7. After a successful first season in Houston, Neshek likely will return to a setup role to open 2016.

A fan favorite, Neshek turned a spring training invite into his best season as a major leaguer. He was terrific in whatever situation the Cardinals put him in, finishing the season with 25 holds and six saves while posting a 1.87 ERA and a very impressive 0.79 WHIP. Neshek had some concerning flyball tendencies but a low 4.3% HR/FB rate kept him out of trouble and partially explains why his xFIP for 2014 was 3.29. Neshek still logged 67.1 innings and struck out 68 batters, making him a valuable fantasy asset in any league that counts holds. He'll likely have a similar role after signing a two-year deal with the Astros. Even if he doesn't get an opportunity to close in Houston, Neshek will be a main setup guy and rack up holds again in 2015.

Neshek was serviceable for the A's in 2013, putting together a 3.35 ERA over 40.1 innings. Neshek's strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 6.5 K/9 and his WHIP spiked to 1.36, thus his ERA in the mid-3.00s was a little bit lucky. Neshek was released by the A's in the offseason and he will look to catch on in middle relief for another squad.

Neshek arrived in Oakland late in the year after a deal with Baltimore and was very effective in his short stint with the A's. He also served as an inspiration to the team after pitching in the ALDS a couple of days after the death of his newborn son, Gehrig. Neshek was nasty against righties in 2012 holding them to a paltry .189 slugging percentage. Neshek should be an effective ROOGY again in the Oakland bullpen.

Neshek struggled in his first season back from Tommy John surgery as he had a noticeable drop in velocity to a mid-80s fastball from throwing in the high 80s/low-90s before the surgery. His lack of velocity was reflected in a low strikeout rate of just 5.7 K/9IP at Triple-A. Still, Neshek could improve in his second year back. When healthy, Neshek's funky delivery is a tough matchup for right-handed hitters, which made him a key setup man for the Twins. He'll likely begin the season at Triple-A, but could be a key late-inning option again if he regains his velocity.

Neshek underwent Tommy John surgery in Nov. 2008 and could be ready for the start of spring training. If healthy, he could return to his role as the top right-handed set-up man for Joe Nathan.

Neshek suffered a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in May. He at first tried to rehab the injury, but suffered a full tear in November. He underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2009 season.

Neshek enters 2008 as the top set-up man to closer Joe Nathan and perhaps the most likely candidate to get saves should Nathan get hurt. He has an 89-90 mph fastball, a good slider and a deceptive delivery that's especially tough on right-handed batters. Neshek proved his strong rookie season wasn't a fluke with a 1.70 ERA and 52:13 K:BB ratio before the All-Star break. He alleviated concerns from his rookie season that he wasn't effective against left-handed hitters by holding them to a .613 OPS (compared to .570 against righties), in part due to a new changeup. However, he struggled in the second half with a 6.23 ERA and was shut down twice in September due to an inflamed ligament in his elbow. He was used heavily last season, including seven of nine games at one point in July and a career-high 74 games, which makes overuse a concern for his 2008 fantasy value.

Neshek was arguably the best middle reliever in baseball during his rookie season. The Minnesota native has an 89-90 mph fastball, a good slider, and a deceptive delivery that's especially tough on right-handed batters. He's a rare side-arm pitcher who can also post high strikeout totals. There's a concern once hitters get more familiar with his delivery, he won't be able to duplicate his success. However, his minor league strikeout and control numbers argue otherwise. A more pressing concern is that he wasn't as effective against left-handed batters (.811 OPS vs. lefties compared to a .311 OPS vs. righties), which may limit his innings. Still, he'll be a key set-up man in the Minnesota bullpen.

Neshek was the closer at Double-A New Britain and recorded 24 saves and a 95/21 K/BB ratio in 82 1/3 innings. He has an 89-90 MPH fastball, a good slider, and a deceptive delivery. He'll start out next season at Triple-A Rochester and a strong first half could have him in the mix for a relief role with the big league club.