Welcome to Baseball Today, where we’ll recap the daily happenings around the league. Today’s addition lumps together the past weekend, which didn’t include much, although we did at least get a minor trade! 

TRANSACTION

Phillies acquire SP Jeremy Hellickson from Diamondbacks for MiLB SP Sam McWilliams
Deal announced by both teams on their Twitter feeds

Well, this one’s a head-scratcher for the Phils. Hellickson is: (a) not good (career 4.38 FIP), (b) injury-prone (has only made 40 starts over the past two years), and most importantly (c) a free agent after this season. Why trade a solid asset for him (McWilliams has been described by some as the most improved pitching prospect in baseball from 2014-15), when you can just sign a guy for a one year contract and then flip him at the deadline? It’s probably their plan with Hellickson if all goes well, but there would have been safer sign-and-flip options on the market who are cheaper (Hellickson could make around $7MM this year). Baffling.

OTHER NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE

-The following players (who had been MiLB free agents), were re-signed by their former teams to new MiLB deals:

Matt Kennelly, C, Braves
Frank Batista, SP, Cubs
Joseph Colon, RP, Indians
Michael Brady, RP, Angels
Brady Shoemaker, OF, Marlins
Chris Leroux, RP, Phillies
Jake Dunning, RP, Giants
Bobby Korecky, RP, Blue Jays

-Doug Bochtler has joined the Padres as their new bullpen coach under rookie manager Andy Green. Bochtler was the Diamondbacks’ Single-A affiliate’s pitching coach last season, and joins third base coach Glenn Hoffman and pitching coach Darren Balsley as the only confirmed members of Green’s staff. Hoffman and Balsley were on the coaching staff last season in the same positions, so Bochtler is Green’s first hire.

-The entire Blue Jays coaching staff will return next season, after much speculation about the fate of the staff following GM Alex Anthopoulos’ departure. Manager John Gibbons was assured of a job by new team President Mark Shapiro last week, but the rest of the coaching staff was in limbo until this morning.

Please note that Ball Eight is not the first to report ANY of these transactions or other notes. All primary sources have been linked to in their respective news piece.