Turns out, a reunion makes total sense.
The Phillies and Neshek have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $16.25-million with a club option for a third year, multiple sources confirmed Tuesday morning. The deal is pending a physical and could be announced by the club later in the week.
The 37-year-old righty pitched in 43 games for the Phillies in 2017 and gave up just five runs while walking five and striking out 45. He was dealt to the Colorado Rockies at July's trade deadline and ultimately finished the season with a 1.59 ERA over 71 games.
"This is a great place to be and I could envision coming back, for sure," Neshek said this past July. "A great group of young guys here, this team is on the upswing."
As of now, it appears Neshek will slide back into a setup role for closer Hector Neris.
It's possible the Phillies make a run at another bullpen arm this week as multiple sources have connected the Phillies to reliever Jake McGee.
Aside from the bullpen, the Phillies and general manager Matt Klentak also are considering ways to upgrade the starting rotation. It's unlikely the club will find a deal to their liking on the free agent market, so a trade is possible and if that happens it'll probably involve either Freddy Galvis or Cesar Hernandez.
The Phillies need to move at least one of the two if the organization plans to have J.P. Crawford and eventually Scott Kingery together up the middle. Manager Gabe Kapler has mentioned he's interested in rotating infielders to get everyone at-bats, but that's probably not a sustainable plan over the long haul of a season.
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