Philadelphia Phillies: Top 5 moves Matt Klentak made as GM
By Matt Rappa
4. Trading All-Star Pat Neshek for prospects, then re-signing him 6 months later.
Reliever Pat Neshek was having a stellar season in 2017, his first in red pinstripes, after being acquired from the Houston Astros in November 2016 for a player to be named or cash considerations. Through 43 appearances, the submarine-throwing right-hander posted a 1.12 ERA, 0.818 WHIP, and 45-5 strikeouts-to-walks ratio spanning 40 1/3 innings.
To no surprise, Neshek was named the lone All-Star on a Phillies team that was the worst in the majors. Just weeks after the Midsummer Classic — looking to replenish the farm system — Klentak traded the team’s best reliever to the Colorado Rockies for three prospects, one being fan-favorite J.D. Hammer.
What makes this move one of Klentak’s best is that just six months later, he re-signed Neshek. The trade would have looked even better, had Hammer or the two other prospects further developed. There is still hope for Hammer, at least.
In his second stint with the Phillies, the Wisconsin native Neshek was not as good as he was in 2017, but still was above-average and put up numbers the 2020 bullpen would surely long for. Through 30 appearances back with the Phillies in 2018, Neshek posted a 2.59 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, and 15-5 strikeouts-to-walks ratio across 24 1/3 innings.
Neshek remained with the team through the 2019 season, but made only 20 appearances and posted a 5.00 ERA. The right-hander was not liked among Phillies fans at the end, especially for reports that he refused to pitch in back-to-back days.
Overall, the two-time All-Star pitched 13 seasons in the majors, recording a 2.82 ERA and 1.041 WHIP ratio spanning 544 appearances and 119 games finished.