Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was claimed on revocable waivers sometime this month, but the Phillies and the claiming team could not work out a trade, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Philadelphia pulled Hellickson off waivers as a result, meaning he’ll remain with the club for the rest of the season.
Hellickson has drawn interest from contenders throughout the summer, but the Phillies clearly haven’t been in any hurry to move on from him.
“The reason we went out and acquired him last offseason is to provide stability to our rotation and mentor our young pitchers. I think he’s been outstanding in that role,” general manager Matt Klentak said after the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline passed without a Hellickson deal.
Hellickson, whom the Phillies acquired from the Diamondbacks in the offseason for minor league pitcher Sam McWilliams, has experienced a bounce-back year. After three straight seasons of struggling to prevent runs, the former top prospect and 2011 American League Rookie of the Year with the Rays has posted a 3.80 ERA, 7.66 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 154 innings. At 29, he has also served as the veteran anchor to a young pitching staff, as Klentak mentioned.
Although he’s an impending free agent, the Phillies could still re-sign Hellickson or receive value for him if he heads elsewhere over the winter. Philadelphia would first have to tender Hellickson a qualifying offer, which will be worth an estimated $16.7MM – more than double his current salary of $7MM. If he rejects the offer, the Phillies would receive a first-round pick as compensation. There’s no guarantee the qualifying offer system will stick around in the next collective bargaining agreement, though a new CBA might not be in place when QOs are tendered early this offseason. For now, Hellickson is a good bet to reject a potential qualifying offer and hit a free agent market that will be largely devoid of quality starters.
Probably because they faced the cold hard truth that he isn’t worth that much. Sorry Phillies… You can’t sign a pitcher off the scrap pile and then trade him for top prospects. Doesn’t work that way.
Cubs did it for a few years.
But that (Hammels) produced as a Cub. Hellickson had been just okay, and then got totally rocked last night.
“You can’t sign a pitcher off the scrap pile and then trade him for top prospects.”
That is just a total fallacy with so many examples its not worth talking about.
“Hellickson had been just okay, and then got totally rocked last night.”
Teams do not care about 1 game samples, ever.
3.80 era. 1.18 whip. 14 quality starts. He is a lot better than youre giving him credit for, in that solid #2-3 starter area, which is worth a lot nowadays
Yes you definitely can do that. Oakland got 3 outstanding prospects for 2 months of Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.
No, the A’s got one outstanding prospect (Holmes) and 2 decent ones. Montas was at the bottom of the top 100 and has been traded three times now and Cotton wasn’t even on the top 100 so I don’t get how you classify them as outstanding. They are decent and possibly up to good, but hardly outstanding.
There are 32 teams and seven minor league levels down to the Dominican Summer League. Anyone in the top 100 is better than good.
Puleez! There are only 30 teams, and that’s 4 too many as it is.
Or they realized that holding on to him is a no-lose proposition seeing how bad the pitching market is this year. They didn’t receive an offer worth exploring so they hold onto him, give him a QO and then they either get a draft pick if he turns it down or a pitcher who has shown he can provide quality innings at a price they can definitely afford even if its overpriced for him, per se. They could always flip him next July if he accepts, but most likely he’ll turn it down and someone will sign him. Might not happen in a market with better options, but when the free agent class is likely headed by Andrew Cashner, there is sure to be a market for Hellickson. Good move by the Phillies.
Agreed agreed agreed.
Unless your Coppy. Lol. Harrell and Alvarez are proof that released pitchers that sign with another team can perform well and flipped for a prospect. Most likely too little was offered and the Phillies kept him to pitch because the younger guys were on inning limits.
If you read the article you would know that he was traded for, not signed. And you guys do know how much of a hitters park he plays in, right? I’d say those numbers are impressive considering the home park.
Sure you can
You realize how silly this statement is? Been going on for 30 years
Wonder if it were the Pirates that claimed him considering the Cole situation
Real question:
What would it take for MLB to change this rule so if a trade could not be worked out, then the team could pull him back, but then put him on waivers again so another team could try? Seems odd its 1-and-done.
No if Phils put him back on Waviers and get claimed he goes to that team no matter what. Santana can go to Pirates.
It’s not odd. It stops a lot of wasted time because if a team claims a guy once, it stands to reason that they will claim him every single time. It doesn’t cost teams anything to put in a claim on revocable waivers. It doesn’t need to be changed.
Unlikely that a team claiming him once is going to choose not to claim him a second time – I agree with Ray Ray there. Unless you’re making a rule that states they cannot claim him again – but then you’re just effectively making him available to everyone, but spending a heap of unnecessary time pulling him and putting him back out there.
All of this boils down to one simple thing – if teams have any frustration with the August Waivers process, work out trades before the deadline instead.
So, the Phillies are gonna throw away about $17 million and pray someone takes him off their hands at next year’s trade deadline?
Or they will have a consistent, decent, mid-rotation guy all year long as they contend for the 2017 wild card? I still can’t believe how good they were this year until injuries/innings limits hit – I had them pegged for 100+ losses, easily.
They have a nice future moving forward, and with Hellickson’s 3.80 ERA 36 BB 131 SO line so far, that is the exact guy you make the QO to and if he accepts, you get a market value production at market value.
Good point. Reliability is the long lost concept until you realized you miss it and have no one to fill that role of reliability.
what do you care if the Phillies pay him $17M? They have nothing committed next year, and revenues to support a $200M payroll. Hellickson at $17M or even $50M is not going to make them unable to sign anyone else they want this year. And if they save that $17M it’s not going to make tickets cheaper so why do you care?
If Hellickson was made a QO, he would be crazy to pass on it! Philly should have traded him for a couple solid prospects and continued rebuilding.
No he wouldn’t. In this free agent market he’s arguably among the best pitchers available (says more about the class than him). He’ll get a strong offer, 3 years/$45M, from someone.
Great Year to be a pitcher where talking about Jeremy Hellickson who after 3 bad years goes to the weakest division in baseball has a 3.80 era and are asking the ? If he’ll turn down or except a 17 million dollar 1 year deal
Accept
I’m fine with this. The Phillies will get a comp pic because there is no way he takes a 1 year deal in this FA market. So in the end, it would be seen as a great trade. 1 full year of a very good pitching and then whoever ends up as that pick. Unless Mac Williams turns in to be a stud, its a true win- win deal.
Now to work on that offense!
So I guess they’re gonna QO Hellickson