Phillies Give Mike Adams Two-Years/$12M

The Phillies will give setup man Mike Adams two years and $12M with a vesting option for a third season pending a physical, according to Ken Rosenthal. The deal gives Philadelphia a setup man to pair with closer Jonathan Papelbon for the near future.

Papelbon is signed with Philadelphia through 2015 with a vesting option for in 2016 if he finished either 55 in 2015 or 100 games between 2014 and 2015. With Adams on board, the Phillies have their eighth and ninth inning plan in place for the next two or three seasons.

Adams joins a bullpen that desperately needed another reliable arm to go with Papelbon. The Phillies original setup option, the departed Chad Qualls, struggled badly in 2012, with a 4.60 ERA for the year. Anthony Bastardo showed some promise with 81 strikeouts in just 59 innings, but he had command issues as well and finished the season with a 4.33 ERA.

Rookie Jeremy Horst provided some relief for the Phillies, with a 1.15 in 31 innings after begin called up, but the team needed a player like Adams and this deal should improve their pen dramatically, bumping the less experienced Bastardo and Horst into less demanding roles.

The deal is pending a physical, however, and Adams is fresh off rib-removal surgery to correct the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome that cut his 2012 season short. If he is cleared by the medical staff, Adams addresses one the major needs for Philadelphia this off-season.