Nationals agree to one-year deal with RHP Hellickson

The Washington Nationals have agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal with right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, according to multiple reports. Hellickson, who will turn 32 less than two weeks into the 2019 season, went 5-3 with a 3.45 ERA over 19 starts for the Nationals last year, his first in Washington. He is expected to join a loaded Nationals rotation that includes Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez.

The right-hander is 74-72 with a 4.07 ERA over nine seasons that has also included stops in Tampa Bay, Arizona, Philadelphia and Baltimore. He was the American League rookie of the year in 2011 when he went 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA over 29 starts for the Rays. He also won a Gold Glove award the following season. The deal, which is still pending a physical exam, has another $4 million in incentives attached. He will head into 2019 with a big-league deal after making the Nationals off a minor-league deal last season.

Hellickson pitched just 91 1/3 innings last season and completed six innings in a start just two times. He did not complete seven innings in any outing. He never threw 100 pitches in any game, reaching 98 pitches in a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on June 30. --Field Level Media