Diamondbacks trade Hellickson to Phillies

Exactly one year after Jeremy Hellickson was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the right-hander is on the move again.

The Diamondbacks traded Hellickson to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Sam McWilliams.

"This offseason we made it a priority to add a stabilizing influence to our young rotation, and we think we found that guy in Jeremy," general manager Matt Klentak told reporters Saturday. "I think one of the things on top of the obvious is that he's a veteran guy, but still just 28 years old. He'll pitch at 29 this season, so we're excited that he's still in his prime.

"And more than anything, he's a competitor. He wants the ball. We've talked about building an environment, and we think he'll be a very positive influence on our staff."

Hellickson's career has taken a downward turn since winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2011. The 28-year-old went 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA over 27 starts last season, adding 121 strikeouts in 146 innings. He's thrown more than 185 innings just once in his six-year career, and missed time last season with a hamstring injury.

Projected to make approximately $6.5 million in his final year of arbitration, Hellickson gives the Phillies a veteran bullpen arm and some added stability while their younger arms develop. Hellickson is set to hit free agency following the 2016 season.

McWilliams, 20, was the Phillies eighth-round pick in 2014. The right-hander went 0-2 with a 3.27 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 33 innings in the Gulf Coast League.