Red Sox Send RHP Aaron Wilkerson and INF Wendell Rijo to Brewers
The Boston Red Sox today acquired infielder Aaron Hill and cash considerations from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for two minor league players: right-handed pitcher Aaron Wilkerson and infielder Wendell Rijo.
To make room for Hill on the 40-man roster, outfielder Ryan LaMarre was designated for assignment.
President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski made the announcement.
Hill, 34, has hit .283 (72-for-254) with 11 doubles, eight home runs, 29 RBI, 34 runs scored, and a .359 on-base percentage in 78 games for the Brewers in 2016, his first season with the club. He has made 55 starts at third base and 16 at second base, combining to commit only two errors in 218 chances for a .991 fielding percentage. The right-handed hitter has batted .333 (26-for-78) with a .376 on-base percentage since June 12, hitting safely in 16 of 20 games in that span.
Originally signed by Toronto as a first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2003 June Draft, Hill has appeared in 1,478 major league games between the Blue Jays (2005-11), Arizona Diamondbacks (2011-15), and Brewers (2016). In his career, he has hit .269 (1,465-for-5,454) with 320 doubles, 21 triples, 159 home runs, 679 RBI, 715 runs scored, and 74 stolen bases. Hill earned Silver Slugger awards as a second baseman in 2012 with Arizona and in 2009 with Toronto, also earning his lone All-Star selection in 2009 with the Blue Jays. He was named American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2009, when he batted .286 (195-for-682) with career bests in home runs (36) and RBI (108).
Born in Visalia, CA, Hill has made 1,164 starts at second base, 127 at third base, and 61 at shortstop in his major league career. He ranks 20th among active infielders in hits, while his 500 career extra-base hits rank tied for 23rd with Dustin Pedroia. In 2012 with the Diamondbacks, Hill became only the second player in the modern era (since 1900) to hit for the cycle twice in a single season, accomplishing the feat on June 18 against the Seattle Mariners and again on June 29 at the Brewers.
Wilkerson, 27, has split the season between Double-A Portland (eight starts) and Triple-A Pawtucket (nine starts), combining to go 6-3 with a 2.14 ERA (22 ER/92.1 IP), 102 strikeouts, and a 1.01 WHIP. The right-hander has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 15 of 16 starts this season, including each of his eight outings with the PawSox, where he has posted a 4-2 record and a 3.38 ERA (13 ER/48.0 IP) over two stints. In three professional seasons since signing with the Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent in 2014, the Texas native has a 22-7 career minor league record with a 2.52 ERA (78 ER/279.0 IP), 293 strikeouts, and a 1.01 WHIP in 54 games (44 starts).
Rijo was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in 2012 and has spent each of the last four seasons in Boston's minor league system (2013-16). In 62 games this year with High-A Salem (11 games) and Portland (51 games), the 20-year-old infielder is 43-for-214 (.201) with 27 runs, 13 doubles, one home run, and 15 RBI. In 333 career minor league games, the right-handed batter has hit .250 (303-for-1,211) with 159 runs, 83 doubles, nine triples, 16 home runs, and 129 RBI. The Dominican Republic native was named the organization's 15th-best prospect following the 2015 season by Baseball America.
LaMarre, 27, appeared in six games for the Red Sox over his first stint with the club since signing as a minor league free agent in December 2015, going 0-for-5 with a walk and a run scored while playing three games in the outfield (one start) and making his first career pitching appearance. The right-handed hitting outfielder made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015, making five starts and appearing defensively at center field (13 games), left field (two games), and right field (one game). Originally selected by the Reds in the second round of the 2010 June Draft, LaMarre has played in 604 minor league games, totaling 99 doubles, 11 triples, 42 home runs, 193 RBI, 150 stolen bases, and 69 outfield assists while hitting .265 (575-for-2,168) with a .343 on-base percentage.