Rays trade pitcher Jeremy Hellickson to Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart is wasting no time rebuilding his club's struggling pitching staff.

The Diamondbacks acquired right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday in exchange for minor-league prospects Andrew Velazquez and Justin Williams, the team announced.

Arizona hired Stewart less than two months ago and tasked the former big-league pitcher with improving a last-place roster. His first major transaction was trading for Hellickson, the 2011 Rookie of the Year.

"I'm definitely excited to get over there to Arizona and get back to the pitcher I was," Hellickson told the Tampa Bay Times after the trade. "I'd heard the rumors so you kind of expect something, but I'm definitely kind of shocked."

Hellickson, 27, missed more than three months of 2014 after undergoing offseason elbow surgery. He returned just prior to the All-Star break and struggled to a 4.52 ERA in 13 starts. 

He joins an injury-decimated pitching staff that began last year with more than half of its rotation sidelined after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Without three of their top hurlers in Patrick Corbin, David Hernandez and Daniel Hudson, the Diamondbacks finished the year with the National League's second-worst ERA. 

Hellickson will also be looking to regain his form after pitching to declining results in Tampa Bay the last few seasons. 

The right-hander improved his strikeout-to-walk rate in each of his first three years, but he's proven to be fly-ball prone and that could become further exposed at hitter-friendly Chase Field.

The Rays' fourth-round pick in 2005 is entering his first year of arbitration this winter and projects to earn $3.9 million next season, according to MLB Trade Rumors. 

The Rays, meanwhile, acquire two young prospects who have yet to appear in a game above A-ball. 

Velazquez, 20, hit .290/.367/.428 with nine homers and 50 stolen bases in 2014. Baseball America's Ben Badler describes the 5-foot-8 shortstop as a little man with explosive tools, rating his baserunning as plus and arm as above average.

The 19-year-old Williams is even less seasoned, spending most of last season playing rookie ball in the Diamondbacks' organization. Williams, a converted outfielder, hit .284/.348/.461 in 28 games at Class A in 2014, and possesses above-average power, according to MLB.com.

Velazquez and Williams ranked 12th and 14th, respectively, on MLB.com's team prospects rankings.