The Phillies took steps during the offseason to improve their bullpen for the 2018 season. Who will take the reins as the closer this year?
Matt Klentak and the Phillies front office made it very clear they wanted to improve a bullpen that struggled often heading into the 2018 season. The club brought back 2017 All Star Pat Neshek and after being highly rumored to sign Addison Reed, they signed former Ray Tommy Hunter.
These two veterans add a lot of experience to the team. They also bring up the teams average age; only those two, bullpen mate Luis Garcia, and Carlos Santana are over 30 on the active roster.
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So who will be the closer? Closing games was a struggle for the Phillies in 2017. Their 33 team saves were fifth-lowest in MLB, second worst in NL, last season. The team had 57 save opportunities, only converting on 58% of save chances. To put that into perspective, if the Phillies were perfect and held every lead, they could have been 80-82, instead of the third worst record in baseball, 66-96.
Hector Neris was the primary closer last year. He led the team with 26 saves in only 29 opportunities. The only other Phillie from last year that is still on the team and had multiple save was Luis Garcia. He had two in seven opportunites. Besides Neris, all other relievers were 7-for-28 in save opportunities.
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So what about Neshek or Hunter? Neshek does not seem to be a possibility. He was not used as a closer last year for the Phillies and never has in his career. He has eight career saves in 29 opportunities. He will likely be used as the seventh or eighth inning man.
Hunter started his career as a starting pitcher. He made 75 starts in the first eight years of his career and hasn’t started since. Hunter has racked up 17 saves in 29 opportunities in his career. Neither Neshek or Hunter have ever been season-long closers in their career.
Neris seems to be the be the most likely and most logical reliever to be the closer in the upcoming season. He finished the season last year as closer and succeeded in the role.
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Philadelphia has not had a long term closer in some time. Brad Lidge got hurt, Jonathan Papelbon had his antics and 100 miles Giles was traded. It would be great for Neris to succeed in the role and remain in it for years to come.