The Philadelphia Phillies have bolstered their rotation by trading for 28-year old starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for 20-year old right-hander Sam McWilliams.
Hellickson, the 2011 AL Rookie of the Year, had a respectable season for the Diamondbacks going 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 27 starts and 146 innings pitched. In those 146 innings he served up 22 home runs and struck out 121 while walking 43.
He was initially acquired by the Diamondbacks a year ago (November 14th) today from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for two minor leaguers.
His season was a tale of two halfs as he posted a disappointing 5.04 ERA in the first half while allowing opponents to hit .274/.322/.468 off of him, but he rebounded in the second half with a respectable 3.86 ERA in 74 innings while allowing opponents hit .244/.312/.452.
He throws a five pitch mix with three fastball varients (fourseam, cutter, and sinker), a change up, and a curveball. The fastball sits in the lower 90s while the curveball is typically in the mid 70s.
Hellickson is a respectable third starter and a good veteran presence for the Phillies who are looking to rebuild and will likely suffer a lot of turnover on the pitching staff as they look to acquire young talent. The Phillies rotation currently comprises of Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickoff. He is a major upgrade over Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams who will both be free agents. The Phillies will look to add someone to the back end of the rotation.
McWilliams was the Phillies 8th round draft choice in the 2014 Amateur draft and had a good season for the Phillies Gulf Coast League affiliate going 0-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 33 innings. He averaged just under five innings per start while striking out 21 and walking just five.