Philadelphia Phillies: Five players to watch at Trade Deadline
By Larry Henry
3.) Jeremy Hellickson – Starting Pitcher.
After a solid debut season in Philadelphia a year ago, Jeremy Hellickson has found it tough to replicate his numbers from 2016. Earning $17 million this season, before being an unrestricted free agent in 2018, Hellickson could also be a veteran arm needed by a team pushing towards the playoffs. At 30 years old, I feel Hellickson has another four to five seasons in him. Hellickson currently is 5-5 this season with a 4.91 ERA, in 77 innings pitched. Granted, he is pitching for a team that gives him zero run support and that is statistically the worst in baseball.
The Phillies are currently listening to deals for Hellickson, who was viewed in Philadelphia as a short-term asset. I do not expect the Phillies to bring back Hellickson after 2017, bearing a complete turnaround in his overall performances. He has struggled to find consistency, while the team has also suffered. Despite some bad numbers through June, Hellickson could be another player traded before July 31st. I doubt that Phillies will offer him anywhere near the amount of money they did for this season, especially if he continues to pitch poorly. Just like Neshek and Kendrick, Hellickson should also be out the door by August.