Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Jeremy Hellickson Named Starter for Opening Day
The Philadelphia Phillies are heading to a new season with rebuilding in mind, which in professional baseball implies that winning is only a secondary objective. So for a club that isn't that concerned about winning, it is quite surprising that the one designated to pitch on Opening Day is a veteran in Jeremy Hellickson.
There's no certainty how long the 28-year old will be wearing the Phillies uniform; he could be out before the season comes to a close. However, naming his as the starter for the team's first game in the new season makes sense because they want the young Aaron Nola to pitch the home opener at Citizens Bank Park, per report from Philly.com.
The first game will be against Cincinnati on April 4, while Nola will be making his highly anticipated home opener by a week after or on April 11.
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While naming the opening day starter is a big deal for baseball fans, it actually is just a figurative move. Some use it as some kind of statement or even a challenge for pitchers. Hellickson for his part isn't known as an ace and has zero experience as an Opening Day starter. However, he is one of the most experienced pitchers in the Phillies roster, having played in six seasons in the major league.
All signs point to the Phillies looking at giving him as much exposure as possible, the purpose of which is for him to get noticed by a postseason-bound team. If no one asks for him in a trade, the team will get nothing out of him once he elects free agency at the end of the season.
Hellickson himself is aware about his situation and is taking it in the most positive way. "I mean, I'd be lying to you if I said I don't think about free agency, but I don't think about it a lot," he admitted.
