Despite back-to-back top-notch performances against the Miami Marlins, Jeremy Hellickson remains with the Philadelphia Phillies. But with the August 1 non-waiver trade deadline rapidly approaching, it sounds as though numerous teams remain interested in the 29-year-old.
According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, at least five teams, including the home Marlins, watched Hellickson's start Monday:
But it isn't like the Marlins are the only team interested. The Orioles, Blue Jays, Giants and Pirates were among a handful of teams that had scouts in attendance.
The Marlins have long seemed to be the favorite for Hellickson, with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noting on Sunday night that the Phillies were scouting the Marlins' GCL team to look for a potential return for their Opening Day starter. The four other teams were also at Hellickson's previous start, though it wasn't entirely clear if they were there to watch Hellickson, Jeanmar Gomez or a combination of both. Either way, Hellickson and Gomez have both ended up pitching — and pitching well for that matter — in Hellickson's last two starts. The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals have also been linked to Hellickson.
Prior to the trade deadline, Hellickson could still make one more start. He's slated to pitch this Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. Though the Braves have the league's worst record, it's hard to imagine Hellickson adding anything to his trade value by pitching Saturday. If at all possible, the Phillies would probably prefer to move him before then, setting up top prospect Jake Thompson's major league debut in his place.
Hellickson, who can become a free-agent after the 2016 season, has gone 7-7 with a 3.65 ERA in his first season with the Phillies. After posting a 5.40 ERA in June, Hellickson has a 1.97 ERA in July, including allowing just one earned run over his last 14 innings pitched.
