In November, the soon to be 30 year old right-hander Jeremy Hellickson accepted a $17.2 million qualifying offer from the Phillies, making him the league’s 20th-highest paid starting pitcher according to Spotrac. This higher paycheck will undoubtedly come with higher scrutiny.
Hellickson arguably had the second best year of his career in 2016, tossing 189 innings while striking out 154 batters and pitching to the tune of a 3.71 ERA. It was his most efficient year since winning the Rookie of the Year in 2011 and an above average season the following year in 2012.