Phillies GM’s highs and lows up to 2020

For 2017:           

Using 2016’s approach, Klentak had two veterans for the Phillies five-man staff, but this time it was Hellickson, who had accepted a qualifying offer, and the salary dump of Clay Buchholz from the Boston Red Sox. Regrettably, Hellickson was ineffective, and Buchholz had lasted for only two starts.

Phillies 2017 stats:

• Hellickson: 30 Gms., 164 Inn., 8-11, a 5.43 ERA, a 0.1 fWAR and a 1.26 WHIP.
• Buchholz: 2 Gms., 7 1/3 Inn., 0-1, a 12.27 ERA, a 0.1 fWAR and a 2.59 WHIP.
• Transactions: Low.

Hellickson had a decent 162 in his first of two summers, and the other starters were on the red pinstripes’ IL (injured list). Meanwhile, Buchholz has a history of dazzling, horrendous, or injury-plagued campaigns; and Klentak received little from this pair in ’17. They were fifty-fifty shots!

In another salary dump, Houston had sent Pat Neshek from Houston to Philly, and he was money for almost every outing. In fact, he only had two poor appearances out of 43 with the first one on May 14. Basically, he was a fan favorite in an otherwise forgettable season.

Phillies 2017 stats:

• Neshek: 43 Gms., 40 1.3 Inn., a 1.12 ERA, 23 Holds, 1 Save and a 1.0 WARP.
• Transaction: High.
• Sanders: 61 Gms., 200 AB, a .205 Avg., 6 HR, 20 RBI, a -0.5 WARP and a .617 OPS.
• Transaction: Low.
• June draft: Haseley was the eighth overall selection.
• Transaction: High.

In his first attempt to add a left-handed hitter with pop, Klentak signed right fielder Michael Saunders, who in ’16 had logged a first half of .298, 16 homers and 42 RBIs. But he had recorded a poor second half that continued with the Phils until his release.

In July, Klentak traded Hellickson to the pitching-desperate Baltimore Orioles and Neshek to the contending Colorado Rockies. Rarely, do any prospects in this deals pan out, but the GM acquired J.D. Hammer from Colorado. And he was the top name going in Klentak’s direction for his first two years other than the Giles return.