Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Their Best Trade Chips
By Chuck Booth
Number Three: Jeremy Hellickson
We come to the last rental on this list but arguably the most valuable one due to a barren starting pitching market. Jeremy Hellickson is one of the top starters available and teams looking for pitching help have taken notice. Hellickson will be the first domino to fall as the Philadelphia Phillies make trades leading up to the trade deadline.
Hellickson was signed in hope that he could regain some of the form that saw him be named the AL Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 and lead a young pitching staff. Hellickson has done both and then some for the Phillies this year.
Besides Aaron Nola, Jeremy Hellickson has been the most consistent pitcher for the Phillies this year averaging almost six innings per start and posting a 3.68 ERA. He would have a better record than 4-3 if the Phillies gave him some better run support. In Hellickson’s last seven he has been even better posting a 3.02 ERA and pitching 44.2 innings. Any contender would love to have that on their team.
Hellickson also brings playoff experience with him so he won’t shy away when the lights of the postseason are at their brightest. And that’s something that you can’t teach a pitcher. Hellickson is entering a career resurgence just in time for the Philadelphia Phillies to capitalize on it. He will be pitching today against the Brewers with another chance to raise his stock while scouts are paying attention.
The Philadelphia Phillies should be able to get two mid-level prospects back for Hellickson or one legit top-10 prospect back if he keeps up his current performance.
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