MLB trade rumors: Each team’s best trade chip

Philadelphia Phillies: Jeremy Hellickson

The Phillies will make sure they find a trade partner to take Jeremy Hellickson off their hands this year. They attempted to trade him last year in the midst of a strong season, but overplayed their hand. Hellickson then shocked the Phillies by accepting the qualifying offer. This year, Philadelphia will be forced to accept whatever they can get for Hellickson.

At the very least, Hellickson is a dependable veteran starting pitcher. He has thrown 66 innings in 12 starts and has made six starts allowing two earned runs or fewer. Hellickson ended the month of April with a 1.80 ERA, which was clearly a mirage. He has a 7.71 ERA over his past three starts with a .290 opponents batting average and .565 slugging percentage.

Hellickson is striking out only 3.8 per nine and is allowing 1.8 home runs per nine. He is an extreme fly-ball pitcher who relies heavily on his changeup. The right-hander can be very prone to the longball, but when he is locating his changeup, Hellickson can shut down even the best lineup. He has a proven track record of providing above-average innings and turning in close to six innings a start. A team like the Orioles, who do not have enough in the farm system to acquire a number-one starter, may have what it takes to shake Hellickson loose from the Phillies.