Phillies Pick Up Pat Neshek From Astros

THE DEAL

With the World Series over, the offseason is in full swing and teams are forced to make roster decisions and whether to pick up player options. The Tigers on Thursday traded Cameron Maybin to the Angels rather than exercise his 2017 option, and on Friday the Astros did the same with righthanded reliever Pat Neshek, sending him to Philadelphia for cash or a player to be identified later.

Neshek, 36, has a $6.5 million option for 2017, which the Phillies exercised.

---

PHILLIES ACQUIRE Pat Neshek, rhp Age: 36

Neshek, a sixth-round pick of the Twins in 2002 out of Butler, spent the past two years in Houston, and was 5-8, 3.36 with one save in that time. The side-arming righthander has had superb control—outside of a blip in 2010-11—and still is tough on righthanders, holding them to a .193/.235/.336 slash line the past two seasons. But he struggled with lefthanders, who pick up his pitches well from that angle. This season, lefthanders hit .250/.321/.646 against him, although that was in just 66 at-bats. He won’t close for the Phillies, but he’ll add some certainty in a bullpen that needs it.

2016 Club	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO
Houston (MAJ)	2	2	3.06	60	1	47	33	6	11	43