Phillies general manager Matt Klentak continues to build bullpen depth
In his second season running the Phillies front office, Matt Klentak has searched for players who provide a low-risk/high-reward opportunity that could pay off in the long run.
Signing pitcher Pedro Beato to a minor league deal Saturday is another example of Klentak hoping to strike gold with a veteran pitcher.
Once a first round pick by the Orioles, Beato has not pitched in the major leagues since 2014 during his lone season in Atlanta. Prior to playing with the Braves, Beato pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the Mets and Red Sox.
Through 95.1 major league innings, the 30-year-old righty owns a 4.34 ERA with 59 strikeouts while allowing 45 earned runs.
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After Baltimore drafted Beato with the 32nd overall pick of the 2006 Draft, the right hander never got past the organizations’ Double-A level. A top-100 prospect in 2007, Beato made his major league debut with the Mets in 2011.
Beato returned to the Orioles organization two years ago, but could not advance past Triple-A despite owning a 2.65 ERA in back-to-back seasons.
Phillies fans should expect to see Beato start the season in Lehigh Valley, similar to Edward Mujica last year. It’s entirely possible Beato gets an opportunity to pitch in Philadelphia in 2017 should his success carry over for a third-straight season.
Should a veteran such as Pat Neshek or Joaquin Benoit go down, it’s possible Beato could be on the list to receive a call up. Both Neshek and Benoit are in their late-30’s and will be trade candidates should they perform well early in the season.