The Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday acquired starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league pitcher Sam McWilliams.
Phillies acquire Jeremy Hellickson from Diamondbacks
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
This is the first trade for new Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, who was hired by Philadelphia on Oct. 26.
Hellickson was 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 27 starts for the Diamondbacks in 2015, with 121 strikeouts and 43 walks in 146 innings. This is the second straight offseason trade for Hellickson, who was dealt from the Tampa Bay Rays to Arizona almost exactly one year ago, on Nov. 14, 2014.
The right-hander won American League Rookie of the Year honors with Tampa Bay in 2011. Hellickson, 28, made $4.275 million in 2015 and has one more year of salary arbitration before he is eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.
Phillies starting pitchers had a 5.23 ERA in 2015, 29th among 30 MLB teams, and were also 29th in strikeouts and 28th in innings pitched, averaging just 5.51 innings per start. But Hellickson averaged just 5.41 innings per start in 2015, and 5.73 for his career.
McWilliams, who turned 20 in September, had a 3.27 ERA in 33 innings in the Gulf Coast League in 2015, with 21 strikeouts and five walks. The 6’7 right-hander was drafted in the eighth round in 2014 by the Phillies.
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