By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
With less than 10 days left until the non-waiver trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies reportedly have a good feeling that All-Star Pat Neshek won't be the only veteran they move prior to the end of the month.
According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, in addition to the expectation that the team will trade Neshek, general manager Matt Klentak's front-office is reportedly hopeful the club can deal two more veterans for returns:
Klentak did not say if he expects to make any trades before the Deadline, but sources have told MLB.com that the Phillies expect to trade Neshek and are optimistic they can move Hellickson, Kendrick and perhaps others before the Deadline.
Hellickson, 30, has had a disappointing second season in Philadelphia. A year after a three-win (in terms of WAR, not actual wins) season, Hellickson entered the night with a 4.44 ERA in just over 107 innings. That, and the 5.55 FIP and 5.45 xFIP that came with it, won't improve after Hellickson's start this evening. In five innings, Hellickson allowed seven hits and gave up six earned runs in the team's eventual 9-8 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Baseball America's Josh Norris reported yesterday that the Phillies had scouts at a Single-A matchup between the Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers' organizations. That may mean nothing, but Hellickson, in theory, could make some sense for the Rockies. The New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals could also be potential suitors for Hellickson, although his 2017 numbers aren't likely to impress either team.
The unfortunate part for the Phillies is that a year ago, Hellickson was 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in just over 30 innings for the Phillies in July. The team reportedly had a deal fall through with the Miami Marlins for Hellickson, which left them in a position to keep him. In the offseason, they extended a qualifying offer to Hellickson, which seemingly scared off potential suitors, and led him to accepting the one-year/$17.2 million qualifying offer. Even with those two events not going in the Phillies' favor, the team at least seemed in a position to benefit from another year of Hellickson pitching for them. That hasn't exactly transpired.
Multiple outlets have suggested that the Phillies are willing to take on money to ensure a better return for Hellickson, though it's unclear why a team would be especially excited to trade for him right now. Having the trade fall through last summer and then having him accept the qualifying offer and pitch poorly this season were bad breaks for the Phillies. Sometimes in baseball that happens.
As for Kendrick, he entered the evening having only appeared in 34 games. In his 127 at-bats, he's been very good – slashing .354/.407/480 – but two extended stints on the disabled list have kept a market from really growing. Prior to his most recent stint on the disabled list, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says a market was starting to develop for the 34-year-old, but injuries have limited both the potential impact that he may have had on a young Phillies lineup and any possible trade returns.
While the Phillies may have hope that they can deal Hellickson and Kendrick before the non-waiver trade deadline, any return would be limited. As Zolecki noted, it's also possible that the Phillies end up moving the two in August waiver deals, which would give both more time to heat up.
The league's non-waiver trade deadline is July 31.
