Phillies trade Jeremy Hellickson to Orioles

The Phillies have traded right-hander Jeremy Hellickson and cash to the Orioles for outfielder Hyun-soo Kim, lefty Garrett Cleavinger and international bonus pool money, as first reported by FanRag’s Jon Heyman.

Hellickson was scratched from his start for the Phillies on Friday night due to ongoing trade talks. His destination was unknown at that point, though the Orioles were clearly closing in on finalizing the deal.

Baltimore was widely expected to be a deadline seller, with rumors swirling about the possibility of the club trading relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the club is still trying to do so, signaling that an aggressive buying spree is likely not in the cards for the Orioles, who sit 6.5 games out of a wild card spot entering play Saturday.

Hellickson is earning $17.2 million this year after accepting Philadelphia’s qualifying offer but has struggled to a 4.73 ERA and 5.50 FIP in 20 starts for the league’s worst team. He was one of the top non-Yu Darvish rental starters available on the market with Trevor Cahill and Jaime Garcia already traded to the Royals and Twins, respectively.

Hellickson will slot in alongside Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Wade Miley and Dylan Bundy in the O’s rotation, likely meaning Ubaldo Jimenez is bound for the bullpen. Rotation depth has been an issue for Baltimore all season, with the club posting an AL-worst 5.90 ERA on the campaign. Despite Hellickson’s struggles, he will enter the O’s rotation with the second-best ERA of the group.

The Phillies have now traded three veterans, with Pat Neshek joining the Rockies and Howie Kendrick being sent to the Nationals in recent days. They may be done selling, though Joaquin Benoit and Daniel Nava have been considered trade candidates.

Kim, 29, owns a .232/.305/.288 line in 56 games for the O’s this year and is in the final year of the two-year deal he signed with the club before last season. He was blocked in the majors by Trey Mancini and Seth Smith but is likely to see more playing time in Philadelphia before hitting free agency this winter.

Cleavinger, 23, was the 27th-ranked prospect (per MLB.com) in a weak Baltimore system. A third-round pick of the O’s in 2015, the southpaw has seen his stock fall this year while posting a 6.28 ERA and 5.4 BB/9 rate in 38.2 relief appearances for Double-A Bowie. He has never started a game in his professional career but has some upside as a former high pick out of the University of Oregon.