UPDATE: CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the deal has been agreed upon. Steve Gilbert of MLB.com writes that prospect right-hander Sam McWilliams will be going to Arizona. An eighth-round pick from 2014, the 20-year-old right-hander has posted a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts and four relief appearances in rookie ball.
3:02 p.m. ET: Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the deal is close to being finalized. The Diamondbacks are expected to receive a lower-level minor league player in return.
2:55 p.m. ET: Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that the Phillies are working on a trade to acquire former Rookie of the Year Award winner Jeremy Hellickson from the Diamondbacks.
Of course, this isn’t as exciting of a possibility as it would have been a couple of years back. Hellickson will be 29 next April and owns a 4.86 ERA over the past three seasons. After being traded from the Rays to the Diamondbacks last winter, he posted a 4.62 ERA and 121/43 K/BB ratio in 146 innings over 27 starts this past season. The home run ball has been a big reason for his struggles.
Hellickson made $4.275 million this past season and will be arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter. In other words, he might only be around for one year. But the Phillies are short on proven arms in their rotation right now.