Phillies reportedly finalizing deal with Orioles for Jeremy Hellickson
Just minutes after news of Howie Kendrick being traded broke, it appears the Phillies are sending Jeremy Hellickson to Baltimore.
After remaining dormant through much of July, the Phillies are finally starting to make some deals with the deadline quickly approaching. The most recent reports indicate that Philadelphia and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a deal for starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.
UPDATE: The club has made the deal official. Hellickson will go to Baltimore for outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, minor-league pitcher Garrett Cleavinger, and international bonus money.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was the first one to report that Baltimore was “active” in pursuing Hellickson. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has since reported that the two sides are indeed finalizing a trade for the 30-year old starter. Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports further confirmed the news.
Source: #Orioles active on #Phillies’ Hellickson.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 29, 2017
Orioles and Phillies finalizing Jeremy Hellickson trade. @Ken_Rosenthal first.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) July 29, 2017
orioles are acquiring hellickson
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 29, 2017
Kim is having a down season with a .232/.305/.288 line in 56 games off the bench. However, last year he performed well with an .801 OPS in 95 games. He doesn’t have a lot of power but could be serviceable off the bench as an on-base machine.
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In 27 games with Baltimore’s Double-A Bowie BaySox, Cleavinger has a 6.28 ERA with a 4.51 FIP, 22.7 percent strikeout rate, and 12.4 percent walk rate. The lefty has a low-90s fastball that can touch 96 with the makings of an average curveball as a second pitch. As his walk rate suggests, his command is a work in progress.
This reported Hellickson trade is the second one GM Matt Klentak made Friday after sending Howie Kendrick to the Nationals.
Earlier on Friday night, I wrote that the Royals may be pursuing a joint package of Kendrick and Hellickson. Clearly that is not the case.
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We knew a trade for Hellickson was imminent as the team scratched him from his scheduled start Friday night. With active trade talks and a wet mound, the team didn’t want to risk injuring Hellickson before the deadline.
Hellickson has been having a rather pedestrian season with a 4.73 ERA, 2.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.26 WHIP in 20 starts. He has been worth just 0.3 fWAR.
However, Hellickson provides some value as a guy who can go out every fifth day and give you five or six innings. They may not be great innings, but they are innings regardless.
The Orioles need that as they teeter on the edge of being playoff contenders.
Next: Howie Kendrick traded to the Nationals
Philadelphia may do the same thing with Hellickson that they did with Kendrick and send a bunch of cash along with him to Baltimore so they can receive a better prospect in return. Even then, they may only get a low-end prospect in return for Hellickson.