Jeremy Hellickson Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz and Speculation Surrounding Rays P

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded minor leaguers Justin Williams and Andrew Velazquez to the Rays for for RHP Jeremy Hellickson.

Friday, Nov. 14

Hellickson Traded to Diamondbacks for Prospects

The Arizona Diamondbacks provide full trade details of the deal that send Hellickson to the Diamondbacks:

Monday, Nov. 10

Joel Sherman: Rays Plan to Trade Hellickson

New Tampa Bay Rays general manager Matthew Silverman doesn't appear to be wasting any time getting to work. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Rays are planning to trade pitcher Jeremy Hellickson to a National League team this week:

Sherman did not go into detail as to which team was pushing most heavily for Hellickson. Silverman is currently in Phoenix for Major League Baseball's general managers meetings, which should help expedite the trade process.   

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reported what he was hearing in regards to Arizona and Hellickson: 

Hellickson, 27, went 1-5 with a 4.52 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 2014, his fifth season in Tampa Bay. He did not make his season debut until July after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his pitching elbow in January.

The Rays are likely looking to shop Hellickson before he hits arbitration this winter. After signing a $3.63 million deal before the 2014 season, it's likely that Hellickson will look for a slight raise—something at which Tampa would understandably balk given his shaky performance the last couple seasons. Hellickson is eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.

Rays owner Stuart Sternberg also told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he expects payroll to drop from its franchise-high $80 million in 2014.

The Rays are currently in a transitional phase, with manager Joe Maddon leaving for the Cubs and GM Andrew Friedman bolting for the Dodgers. Assuming Hellickson gets dealt this week, Silverman seems well on his way to meeting ownership's goal of shaving excess fat from the payroll.

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