Phillies: Pat Neshek named the Phillies lone All-Star

An early afterthought in the Phillies offseason has turned into one of the great stories of the season

Pat Neshek has been selected to represent the Phillies at the All-Star game in Miami on July 11.

At 36-years-old Neshek will be making his second appearance in the mid-summer classic, and his first since 2014 representing the Cardinals.

Acquired from the Houston Astros in November for cash or a player to be named later, Neshek has been the lone constant in the Philadelphia bullpen. Entering Sunday’s game against the Mets, Neshek owned a 1.39 ERA in 32.1 innings with only five earned runs allowed.

Had Neshek not been the Phillies candidate the options were slim for National League manager Joe Maddon. Aaron Altherr would have struggled to join a crowded All-Star outfield, and Odubel Herrera has failed to reproduce his All-Star campaign from last season.

Tommy Joseph is 10th in the National League with 14 home runs, but a sub-.250 batting average diminished his chances of representing the Phils in Miami.

Should no other Phillie be added to the roster at a later date, it would be the fourth consecutive All-Star game with only one representative from Philadelphia. Cliff Lee and Dominic Brown were the last duo to represent the team back in 2013.

This year also marks the third consecutive year without a starter wearing a Phillies P, with Chase Utley being the last in 2014.

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This All-Star selection should help Neshek garner some extra value when the trade deadline rolls around at the end of July.