The 2016 trade deadline is three weeks and four days away now, but the Red Sox got a head start on things Thursday night. Boston has acquired veteran infielder Aaron Hill from the Brewers for minor leaguers Aaron Wilkerson and Wendell Rijo, the team announced.
Hill, 34, hit .283/.359/.421 (107 OPS+) with eight home runs in 78 games with Milwaukee this season. They picked him up from the Diamondbacks in the Jean Segura trade over the winter with the intention of flipping him for prospects at the deadline, so mission accomplished. Arizona is paying part of Hill's salary, so the Red Sox are only on the hook for roughly $2.75 million the rest of the season.
Here are five things to know about this relatively minor but not insignificant trade.
1. Red Sox add a platoon partner for Shaw
Back in spring training, young Travis Shaw beat out Pablo Sandoval for the third base job, then got off to an incredible start to the season. Shaw hit .314/.385/.500 in April. He's slowed down in the weeks since, putting up a .258/.316/.451 line since May 1. That's still really good!
What isn't good is Shaw's production against left-handed pitchers. The lefty swinger is hitting only .211/.240/.380 against southpaws while striking out in 28.0 percent of his plate appearances this year. Hill, a right-handed hitter, owns a career .267/.332/.431 batting line against lefties. This might not be a straight platoon, but Hill does figure to get plenty of playing time at third base against left-handers.
2. Wilkerson's backstory is pretty interesting
Wilkerson is not your typical prospect. He's already 27 years old, and the Red Sox signed him out of the independent American Association back in 2014. Wilkerson, a righty, has since zoomed up their minor league system to make himself a big league option. He's got a 2.73 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 92 1/3 Triple-A innings this year.
SoxProspects.com says Wilkerson has the "ceiling of a fringe number five starter, spot starter," which isn't sexy, but it is useful. Getting a cheap big league ready starting pitcher for half-a-season of a platoon player like Hill is a pretty nice get by Brewers GM David Stearns. Expect to see Wilkerson pitching in Milwaukee at some point this season.
3. Rijo is the more highly touted prospect
The 20-year-old Rijo signed for $575,000 out of the Dominican Republic back in 2012. He's since reached Double-A, where he's hit .186/.245/.266 in 51 games this year. MLB.com ranked Rijo as the No. 17 prospect in Boston's system before the season. Here's a snippet of their scouting report:
He has a quick right-handed bat and barrels balls, showing the potential to hit for a solid average with lots of doubles and double-digit home run totals once he adds strength. He has the ability to work counts but sometimes gets caught up trying to do too much and overstrides at the plate ... Rijo now has closer-to-average speed that plays up on the bases and in the field because he has good instincts ... Rijo could be an offensive-minded regular at second base.
Wilkerson is the short-term help and Rijo is the long-term project. The Brewers did quite well for themselves considering Hill's trade value was not exactly sky high.
4. Red Sox probably have more moves in the works
It is not in Dave Dombrowski's nature to stand pat at the deadline. Adding Hill to the bench was only step one of his trade deadline plan. The Red Sox have a clear need for rotation help, and the fact they traded a potential rotation option (Wilkerson) for Hill suggests Dombrowski has his eye on adding another starting pitcher or two.
The BoSox could also use some help in the bullpen and possibly left field, depending on whether they really consider Brock Holt and/or the presently injured Chris Young everyday options out there. The bench needed help, hence Hill. Now the Red Sox need to add some rotation help. Expect that to be the next item on Dombrowski's shopping list.
5. Brewers still have more players to trade away
The Brewers are in the middle of an unabashed rebuild and Hill was only the first domino to drop. Their big trade deadline chip is All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who figures to fetch a significant return. Others like lefty Will Smith, righty Jeremy Jeffress, and first baseman Chris Carter could be moved as well. Ryan Braun could be on the market too, though the $90 million left on his contract through 2020 is an obstacle. Either way, the Brewers aren't done selling off veterans.