MLB Trade Deadline: 6 best pitching rentals available
6. . SP. Philadelphia Phillies. Jeremy Hellickson. 2. player
While Cashner or de la Rosa might provide a little bit of upside for a team in need, two pitching rentals have clearly separated themselves as the best available on the market. Hellickson is one member of that duo, as he is having a nice bounce-back season and should be a reliable back-end starter down the stretch.
Philadelphia surprised everyone with a hot start behind a good, young rotation that includes promising starters like Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff. The Phillies have slowed down since with a 41-47 mark and will be dealing anything of short-term consequence, including Hellickson.
Like so many other starters, Hellickson looked destined for a promising career before injuries hit. Hellickson won the 2011 AL Rookie of the Year Award with a 2.95 ERA (4.44 FIP) per FanGraphs but struggled through a series of arm and shoulder injuries from late 2012-2015.
The Phillies took a flier by trading the 29-year-old after a forgettable year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Hellickson has responded well. Hellickson has a 3.92 ERA (4.26 FIP) with 93 strikeouts and 27 walks in 105.2 innings this season, his best overall year since 2012.
Those numbers won’t overwhelm a buyer, but they could represent a meaningful upgrade for a team like the Orioles, who don’t have the resources to get one of the bigger names on the market.
Next: 1. Rich Hill, Oakland Athletics