By Sam Bush
For a team that traded No. 1 starter Cole Hamels on July 31, the Phillies didn’t wait long to acquire a top-of-the-rotation replacement.
The Phillies Saturday afternoon traded for right-handed pitcher Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondback in exchange for minor league righty Sam McWilliams.
Hellickson, 28, pitched the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, spending the last year in Arizona. Hellickson was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2011. In 2012, he was a co-winner of the AL Gold Glove.
In 135 career starts Hellickson has a 3.94 ERA.
McWilliams, 20, was an eight-round pick by the Phillies in 2014. In two minor league seasons he was 2-5 with a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts.
