Red Sox have acquired 2B Aaron Hill from Brewers

[StephenCurry30]

#VoteBraun Verified account

‏@Brewers

 

INF Aaron Hill and cash have been traded to Boston in exchange for RHP Aaron Wilkerson and 2B Wendell Rijo.

 

 

hmm, what does this mean? bad news for Shaw?

[jacksonianmarch]

Platoon partner for Shaw

[Jack Flap]

More intriguing than this actual trade:

 

 

@JMastrodonato: So Red Sox lose Wilkerson, potential back-end starter, at a time when they’re desperate for SP. Have to assume there’s more in the works…

 

@JMastrodonato: Would think if Red Sox are comfortable trading Wilkerson, Dombrowski is close to acquiring a starter.

[mvp 78]

I love Aaron Hill.

[Nick]

More intriguing than this actual trade:

 

 

@JMastrodonato: So Red Sox lose Wilkerson, potential back-end starter, at a time when they’re desperate for SP. Have to assume there’s more in the works…

 

@JMastrodonato: Would think if Red Sox are comfortable trading Wilkerson, Dombrowski is close to acquiring a starter.

 

Or just maybe Sox needs upgrade over Hernandez with Shaw's injury.

[mvp 78]

@peteabe Dombrowski said the Sox did not see Wilkerson as a viable option.

 

He must be dog s*** then.

[mvp 78]

 

Should be a good time.

[mvp 78]

@overthemonster Are people actually talking about a Pedroia trade? That's not happening. Why WOULD it?

[mvp 78]

@peteabe This deal not related to Shaw’s injury, by the way.

[Nick]

I meant Shaw injures Sox from left side......

[mvp 78]

@pgammo Hill .308/349/'490/.839 (at Fenway)

[Nick]

He hit 38 home runs one season.....Mr Hill, meet Mr Greenmonster....

[Jasonbay44]

Hill is a solid player and the two guys we gave up aren't much.. I like the deal.

[Nick]

Price was definitely right....less than $3m...he will fit right in with this bunch....

[bosoxmal]

I thought Hernandez was doing real fine! Maybe he's in a package for another trade.

 

When I first saw the headline, I thought, "wow, we got Hill back!" Alas, wrong Hill!

[FredLynn]

I meant Shaw injures Sox from left side......

 

For his career Travis Shaw has an OPS v RHP of .804. Vs LHP his career OPS is .810. What has happened this year IMO is an aberration so far (v LHP OPS of .620) and is based on a small sample size of 75 PAs. Furthermore, Hill is hitting worse v LHP than RHP this year; OPS .725 and v RHP .803. Even for his career the difference is small : .762 v LHP, .741 v RHP. Something else is going down methinks.

Edited July 8, 2016 by FredLynn

[illinoisredsox]

For his career Travis Shaw has an OPS v RHP of .804. Vs LHP his career OPS is .810. What has happened this year IMO is an aberration so far (v LHP OPS of .620) and is based on a small sample size of 75 PAs. Furthermore, Hill is hitting worse v LHP than RHP this year; OPS .725 and v RHP .803. Even for his career the difference is small : .762 v LHP, .741 v RHP. Something else is going down methinks.

 

Is the .620 an aberration? Last year's OPS of .975 vs. LHP was based an equally small sample size of 85 PAs.

 

I don't know what his splits were in the minors, although I sort of recall reading that the .620 is a lot closer to his minor league LHP split than the .975.

Edited July 8, 2016 by illinoisredsox

[Nick]

Let's not make this complicated...John F mentioned last week he'd like to have right handed bat for infield. DD said alright John. Nothing more, nothing less. He simply adds depth and reinforcement for Shaw, especially vs tough left handlers.

 

It's a good move.

[FredLynn]

Is the .620 an aberration? Last year's OPS of .975 vs. LHP was based an equally small sample size of 85 PAs.

 

I don't know what his splits were in the minors, although I sort of recall reading that the .620 is a lot closer to his minor league LHP split than the .975.

 

I don't know what his splits were in the minors either. I know that he didn't hit anyone well at Pawtucket: career OPS in AAA ball: .715. He made his jump when he got to the majors. You are right: 85 ABs aren't much larger a sample size than 75 is. The true OPS split is probably somewhere in between the two, but no conclusion can be drawn from either one: I cannot say that Shaw is terrible v LHP....not yet.

[moonslav59]

I thought Hernandez was doing real fine! Maybe he's in a package for another trade....

 

 

I'm very high on Hernandez, but he's a LHB, so he's apparently not a good platoon match with Shaw.

 

By the way, I believe Shaw had bad slits vs LHPs in the minors, so the concern is real. It shouldn't be a surprise that if he begins to struggle, it might start vs lefties.

[FredLynn]

I'm very high on Hernandez, but he's a LHB, so he's apparently not a good platoon match with Shaw.

 

By the way, I believe Shaw had bad slits vs LHPs in the minors, so the concern is real. It shouldn't be a surprise that if he begins to struggle, it might start vs lefties.

 

Lets say Shaw had just been promoted to the majors. He has had 75 PAs so far and has an overall OPS of .620. Is it then safe to conclude that he is not a good hitter? While its certainly possible that he will need some platoon help v LHP, its far too early to make that conclusion IMO. He will need to approach 200-250 PAs v LHP to make that judgement. Its entirely possible that management will never let him get that many, of course.

[moonslav59]

Lets say Shaw had just been promoted to the majors. He has had 75 PAs so far and has an overall OPS of .620. Is it then safe to conclude that he is not a good hitter? While its certainly possible that he will need some platoon help v LHP, its far too early to make that conclusion IMO. He will need to approach 200-250 PAs v LHP to make that judgement. Its entirely possible that management will never let him get that many, of course.

 

I'm Mr. anti-small sample size judgments, so I hear you.

 

(Note: I argued JBJ's 500+ first PAs sample size was too small to judge definitively.)

[Thunder]

This moves makes no sense to me. The last place I thought we needed help was infield, even if the INF defense has been somewhat of a liability lately, sans Bogaerts.

[Nick]

So you just blow off your manager's request to get a right handed batting infielder depth?

[moonslav59]

Here are his most recent minor league splits:

........vs RHP...vs LHP

2015 .703 .610 AAA (194/95 ABs)

2014 .850 .508 AAA (223/90 ABs)

1.093 .782 AA (96/81 ABs)

 

This is a total of 266 ABs vs LHPs ...so maybe close to 280-290 PAs.

 

Still not a huge sample size, but the differential was so great, certainly there should be concern he may end up being best used in a platoon situation.

 

 

[Palodios]

I don't care if Wilkerson is a AAAA scrub, YOU DON'T TRADE PITCHING DEPTH.

 

If the Sox never made the Wade Miley trade, that 5.36 ERA would probably have us in first place with this offense.

[a700hitter]

I don't know what to make of this move,

[Spudboy]

I don't know what to make of this move,

 

As usual, I'm with you.

 

Maybe something is up. Like moving players on the 25 man.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Oh yeah, Aaron Hill still exists. Hmm.

[moonslav59]

I don't care if Wilkerson is a AAAA scrub, YOU DON'T TRADE PITCHING DEPTH.

 

If the Sox never made the Wade Miley trade, that 5.36 ERA would probably have us in first place with this offense.

 

Point well taken. I liked Miley and hated to see him go. He was, essentially, our best wire to wire starter last year.

 

However, he's pitching in a pitcher's park now, so let's look at ERA-, WHIP and xFIP- to see, if he really has been much better....

 

.......ERA- WHIP xFIP-

Miley 130 1.40 107

ERod 191 1.74 134

Kelly 188 2.24 114

Buch 140 1.51 128

O'Sul 143 1.70 125

Owens 113 2.11 173

 

Yup, he's been much better! You're right.

 

I know out 4-5 starter slot has an ERA over 7.00, but I'd like to see where our pitching staff ranks only counting your top 3 SP'ers and bullpen.

 

All top three SP'ers have WHIP below 1.23.

 

Their ERA- are Wright 60, Porcello 85 and Price 103.

 

xFIP: Price 75, Porcello 93 and Wright 103.