McCaffery: As trading begins, no Phillie is untouchable
PHILADELPHIA » Physically and professionally, Jeremy Hellickson was in the very place he was a year earlier. So when the topic came in high and tight the other night, he was ready to duck out of the way.
“Obviously, I get the questions,” he said. “But I don’t really have a good answer for you guys. So I’ll just see what happens.”
Hellickson had just made his last start before the All-Star break, which is the unofficial starting line for serious in-season trade discussion, rumor-spreading, salary dumps and franchise U-turns — a period that will last through the July 31 trade deadline. And this year, like last year, Hellickson knows the deal: He’s an accomplished, veteran pitcher who has been just good enough to have some appeal.
The question for him and for the Phillies: How much? And if it’s not much, then the Phillies’ season will have been even more wasted that it has seemed.
While they didn’t necessarily expect to win a four-game World Series this season, and while they are satisfied to spend the summer developing legends in the minor leagues, the Phils at least thought they would be popular July trade partners. But that does not seem likely, either.
Consider Matt Klentak’s options. And begin, like last year, with Hellickson. Said Pete Mackanin: “Hellickson is Hellickson. You know what you are going to get from Hellickson.” That would be a pitcher likely to go a little above .500 — he’s 66-63 in his career — and usually push a team into the sixth inning. He’s 30, old enough to be a valuable clubhouse addition, young enough not to soon crumble. But he is on an expiring contract, one out of line with his production. So for the Phillies to acquire any level of prospect for him, they would have to inhale almost every dollar he is owed. If they do that, Hellickson will go.
The other likely option would be to move sidearming All-Star reliever Pat Neshek. Though he, too, is on an expiring contract, he is having a plus season at a time when bullpen help is scarce. He will have enough worth to a contender to yield some value.
“I don’t know how he can throw any better,” Phillies president Andy MacPhail said. “Also, the one thing that he brings you is a different look. I’ve been with enough managers to know that they’re always looking for that different look in the bullpen over the course of the year. Clubs are pretty stingy with their prospects, though. The best way to make a good trade is to find a motivated buyer, so that’s going to be Matt’s job: Find a motivated buyer.”
The Phillies thought that would be easy when they signed 2016 AllStar Michael Saunders for one year. But by June, the Phils’ only motivation was to shoo him away. They had the same plan for Howie Kendrick, who can’t stay healthy at 33. But if he can contribute 10 solid, pre-deadline games, he could fool another team, too.
The embarrassing reality for the Phillies is that every player, the farm products included, will be available. How a franchise cannot employ a single untouchable player is staggering, but even MacPhail knows it’s the truth.
“I would say,” he said, “that’s pretty safe.”
Just because every Phillie is acquirable, though, it doesn’t mean they would all come cheap. Tommy Joseph could intrigue. And with both he and Rhys Hoskins apparently unable to play anywhere but first base, something has to buckle in the next year or two anyway.
“They can’t coexist on the same team,” Mackanin said. “It wouldn’t be fair to either guy. It wouldn’t be fair to us. It wouldn’t be fair to Tommy. Tommy’s got a chance to hit 30 home runs and drive in 90 runs.”
With Mackanin saying Friday that the Phillies would like to see some of their prospects in the big leagues “sooner than later,” it could be a good time to make a bid on Joseph. Also, even if it was just in casual conversation, Mackanin said, “At the trade deadline — who knows? — we might trade an outfielder. It’s still all up in the air.” The most likely outfielder to be moved is Daniel Nava, who has had a statistically excellent season and earns just over $1 million.
“I like it here,” Nava said. “But I understand.”
The Phillies have had a disturbing season. So it’s understandable that they need to do something. Joaquin Benoit certainly will be on sale, and in that bullpen market, anything is possible. Cesar Hernandez, anybody? Maikel Franco? Odubel Herrera?
“Matt’s job is to not limit,” MacPhail said. “He needs to keep a wide spectrum, a wide horizon. And any opportunity that makes sense for us going forward, he should explore.”
The chatter all makes sense, from Hellickson to Herrera to Joseph to Benoit to Kendrick to a player whose name might not arise until it leaks onto the transactions wire.
“I’m going to try the best that I can,” Hellickson said, “not to think about it.”
Given everything that the 2017 Phillies have been, that won’t be easy.