The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-handed prospect Sam McWilliams, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.
The Phillies finished with MLB’s worst record in large part due to pitching. Their starters posted a combined 5.23 ERA and allowed batters a .290 average in 2015—both second-worst in the majors.
They’re in the midst of a massive overhaul with starters. They traded ace Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers before the non-waiver deadline and declined the 2016 option on Cliff Lee at season’s end.
Hellickson, however, isn’t exactly a highly sought-after commodity like he was earlier in his career when he was the Rookie of the Year.
He was baggage to the Diamondbacks, who traded for him last winter, and the six-year veteran mustered just nine wins in 27 starts with a 4.62 ERA and 1.329 WHIP.
Hellickson is in the final year of arbitration eligibility after collecting $4.275 million in 2014, per Spotrac.
The Phillies compete in a National League East that features two of the baseball’s best rotations—the New York Mets and Washington Nationals—meaning they’ll need a lot more than damaged goods from the sub-.500 Diamondbacks if they seek a path out of the league cellar.
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