The Philadelphia Phillies have found a reliever to pitch the eighth inning, signing righty Mike Adams to a two-year deal to help build a bridge to closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Adams, 34, didn't find a routine home in the majors until coming to San Diego in 2008. The next season, he turned heads with a .73 ERA and .59 WHIP in 37 innings of relief. He'd keep his ERA under two for three years on the Padres, with a WHIP staying below 1.05 every year thanks to a strong tendency to avoid walking hitters. Adams has 365 career strikeouts in 363.2 innings pitched, working out nearly perfectly to a ratio of one per inning. He was traded to Texas during the 2011 season, with his numbers declining a little bit after the shift to the American League.

Adams' deal is for $12 million over the next two seasons. The reliever had surgery in October to repair a condition that caused one of his ribs to pinch a nerve, causing arm pain, but he's expected to be healthy by the beginning of spring training.