Phillies Rumors: Club has ‘internally discussed’ bringing back Pat Neshek

By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor

Pat Neshek wasn't in Philadelphia a long time, but he made a strong impression in his short stint with the Phillies. The impression was so strong that the Phillies reportedly may attempt to re-sign the veteran reliever. 

According to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Matt Klentak and those inside the team's front-office have had discussions about trying to sign Neshek, who is currently a free-agent: 

The Phillies' bullpen showed signs of coming together in the second half of last season, but the team would still like to add a veteran who knows his way around the late innings. A Pat Neshek reunion has been discussed internally. 

Neshek, who turned 37 in September, was the Phillies lone All-Star in 2016 before being dealt to the Colorado Rockies just prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. After Klentak acquired Neshek in an offseason trade with the Houston Astros, he posted a 1.12 ERA and 1.94 FIP (per Baseball Reference) in 43 games. Despite a change of address, Neshek remained effective for the Rockies, who ultimately won the second National League Wild Card. In 28 games, he posted a 2.45 ERA with a 1.70 FIP (per Baseball Reference). 

Following his trade to the Rockies, Neshek talked about how he enjoyed his time in Philadelphia and brought up the idea of potentially returning if the opportunity presented itself. 

"I felt really comfortable [with the Phillies] – my family loved it [Philadelphia], we loved where we lived," Neshek told the collective media after being informed he was traded. "I enjoyed all my teammates, more so that a lot of places. So, I'd love to come back, maybe." 

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In fact, Neshek went as far as saying that if he ever had the chance to pick his team, the Phillies would "probably be his No. 1 destination." He now has that chance. 

Though Neshek isn't short on postseason experience, he has never won a World Series. As much as he enjoyed his time in Philadelphia, it's possible that a chance to join a contender could push him away from returning. It's also possible that the Phillies choose to go in another direction. 

If Neshek did rejoin the Phillies, he would return to a bullpen that has many of the same members as it did when he left. However, after a shaky first half of the 2017 season, Hector Neris, Edubray Ramos, Adam Morgan and Luis Garcia turned the bullpen into a pretty effective unit after the All-Star Break. Rookie lefty Hoby Milner was also especially effective out of the bullpen. In a potential return to Philadelphia, Neshek wouldn't be joining a team that's quite ready to make the playoffs, but he would be joining a team stocked with talented young pieces, including in the bullpen.

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