Blue Jays rumours: Targeting Jeremy Hellickson

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly showing interest in Philadelphia Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson

With the Toronto Blue Jays being linked to pitchers of all shapes, sizes, and skill levels ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, Jeremy Hellickson of the Philadelphia Phillies continues to be one of the more widely-reported names.

Prior to Friday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi said on Blue Jays Central that Toronto is still looking at Hellickson and Oakland starter Rich Hill, among others. Jayson Stark of ESPN reported the same as part of an excellent piece on the upcoming decision with Aaron Sanchez.

“One name to keep an eye on is Philadelphia’s Jeremy Hellickson,” Stark wrote, “who at least could provide reasonably dependable innings, for a return they could probably afford.”

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Friday’s trade that saw Andrew Cashner go to the Miami Marlins as part of a larger deal suggests that even B-level starters will cost a premium, though, especially as the market bottlenecks towards certain targets with Monday approaching.

Hellickson is a familiar name in the American League East thanks to his American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays. That year, Hellickson pitched to a 2.95 ERA over 189.0 innings.

Now in Philadelphia after an unsuccessful one-year stop in Arizona, the 29-year-old has enjoyed a modest career resurrection. He’s made 21 starts, carrying a 3.65 ERA over 125.2 innings while demonstrating strong control (2.0 BB/9). This performance has been good for a 1.8 WAR, already topping that 2011 season with the Rays.

The key to Hellickson’s success this season has been his changeup, which has looked much stronger in 2016 as he uses it nearly one-quarter of the time. Similarly to Marco Estrada, Hellickson relies on a fastball that tops out around 90-91 miles-per-hour alongside his excellent change.

Being a rental with just two months remaining on a $7 million contract, the Blue Jays would not have the option to be as creative financially as they have in past deals including Melvin Upton Jr. and Jason Grilli. The very limited prospect capital they have been forced to part with in their deals, though, including the most recent for Joaquin Benoit, does leave flexibility as Toronto looks for the best way to address their rotation and bullpen.

Next: Blue Jays targets: Boone Logan and lefties

Twitter:  @KeeganMatheson
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