Philadelphia Phillies acquire Jeremy Hellickson from Arizona Diamondbacks

The Philadelphia Phillies have completed a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, acquiring starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson in exchange for minor league hurler Sam McWilliams:

The 28-year-old Hellickson just finished his sixth season in the big leagues, and his first in Arizona after being traded there last offseason. Interestingly enough, his move to Philadelphia comes a year to the day after he was dealt to the D’backs from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Like many pitching products of the Rays farm system, Hellickson showed a great deal a promise upon making his major league debut. He won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2011 after posting a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 189 innings. The right-hander enjoyed another strong season in 2012, managing a 3.10 ERA in 177 frames while taking home a Gold Glove award.

Unfortunately, Hellickson’s performance took a considerable nosedive over the next few seasons. His ERA rose to 5.17 in 2013, and elbow surgery limited him to just 13 starts the following year. Things didn’t improve much in Arizona, as Hellickson put up a 9-12 record, 4.62 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 146 innings in 2015.

For a franchise in transition like the Phillies, Hellickson presents a potentially worthwhile reclamation project. Though his overall results have declined significantly, Hellickson is racking up more strikeouts and doling out fewer walks than at the beginning of his career. In fact, last year’s 2.81 K/BB ratio was the highest of any full season in his big league tenure (discounting his ten appearances in 2010).

The Phils will hope that another change of scenery and new guidance may help Hellickson recapture some of his earlier form. It’s a relatively low-risk proposition, as he is set to become a free agent after the 2016 season.

Next: Red Sox acquire Craig Kimbrel

As for the Diamondbacks, they’ll take a chance on the 20-year-old McWilliams, a tall right-hander who put up solid numbers this season for the Phillies’ Rookie-level team, albeit in a somewhat limited capacity (3.27 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 4.20 K/BB in 33 innings).