KC Royals Rumors: Evaluating The Pitching Trade Targets

Jeremy Hellickson

The 29-year-old Hellickson is actually enjoying a solid season with the Phillies, with a 7-7, 3.84 ERA, and 8.0 K/9 stat line in 20 starts. He’s eaten 119.2 innings and is only walking 2.0 per nine innings. While he has surrendered 19 home runs, he’s a solid bottom of the rotation option.

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Since Hellickson is a seven year veteran, he’s unlikely to collapse down the stretch.

Hellickson is also relatively inexpensive, signed to a $4.2 million contract this season. He’s eligible for free-agency in 2017, so he would be a pure rental. Yet, the prospect price for Hellickson shouldn’t be outrageous. He’s not a guy that the Phillies would want to extend a qualifying offer for fear he would take it. Thus an acquiring team wouldn’t have to exceed the value of a  compensation draft pick.

Even so, given the demand for starting pitching at the trade deadline, the price could be higher than a guy like Hellickson would normally command. While his current 3.84 ERA looks pretty good, his 4.22 FIP (Fielding Independent PItching) suggests he’s more of a no. 5 pitcher rather than a mid-rotation guy.

Hellickson would help the Kansas CIty Royals, but he’d probably be a guy riding the bench come playoff time.

Next: Tampa Bay Option No. 1