Phillies acquire starter Jeremy Hellickson from Diamondbacks
The trade winds are blowing strong across Major League Baseball.
In a deal agreed to on Saturday, the Philadelphia Phillies have acquired veteran right-handed Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league pitcher Sam McWilliams. Comcast SportsNet’s Jim Salisbury was the first to report a deal was near. Jon Heyman later confirmed it was a done deal, as did the Phillies.
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There’s no mention of the Phillies withholding until Hellickson undergoes a physical, although that detail is often assumed. Hellickson did miss time in September with a hamstring injury, but that shouldn’t be a concern moving forward. He also missed significant time for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014 with elbow discomfort, but that did not seem to hinder his performance in last season. Hellickson made 27 starts for Arizona, finishing with a 4.62 ERA.
Only 28, Hellickson figures to have good years ahead of him if he does stay healthy and regains much of the effectiveness that led him to American League Rookie of the Year in 2011. Hellickson flashed plenty of promise back then, winning 27 games with a 3.06 ERA over his first three seasons.
He’s an interesting fit with this rebuilding Phillies team. He could serve as a veteran innings eater with perceived upside much the same way Jake Arrieta did with the Chicago Cubs, or he could be used as a trade chip should he rebuild his value quickly. Both would be ideal for the Phillies, if not unrealistic given how far Arrieta’s bounce back has taken him.
If it doesn’t pan out Hellickson won’t come at a great cost financially. He’s only projected to earn $6.6MM in 2016 in arbitration. Sam McWilliams, 20, is viewed as a low level prospect, so it wasn’t a great cost on that end either.
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On Arizona’s side, they were simply looking to get whatever they could for a pitcher likely to be non-tendered. Overall, the Diamondbacks didn’t do well on the Hellickson experiment after parting with infielder Andrew Velazquez and outfielder Justin Williams to land him last winter. Both are considered more intiruging prospects than McWilliams.
With Hellickson officially gone, it’s back to the drawing board for general manager Dave Stewart as he attempts to build depth in his rotation. That plan figures to include signing a second-tier free agent.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
