Landing spots for Aaron Hill

[LouisEly]

With ARI picking up $6.5M of Hill's contract, any team will only have to take on at most $3M and the Brewers could easily kick in $1M-2M so salary shouldn't stop any deals. While he is middle-of-the-pack this year in production for 3B or 2B, very few players having a better season will be available. Valencia of OAK is likely the only one, and he is having a career year so far (career OPS of .752), so it's debatable if he's perceived by GMs as better than Hill.

 

1) Royals - Released Omar Infante and Moustakas is on the DL. For now are going with Cuthbert at 3B and Merrifield at 2B; while Merrifiled has been hot, he has a career minor league OPS of .733. After winning the WS last year they should have plenty of cash on hand, and they are only a game out.

 

2) Indians - They have no business giving 200 PAs to Juan Uribe. With Byrd suspended and Brantley hurt they have had to move Ramirez and Chisenhall to OF. Maybe they are looking for OF help more than IF though.

 

3) Giants - both Duffy and Panik have come back down to Earth this year, and Panik is on the DL. Giants are resorting to starting Conor Gillaspie at 3B. With Cain hurt again and Peavey showing his age the Giants may be more focused on starting pitching, but Hill would be an upgrade offensively at both 3B and 2B.

 

4) Cardinals - one of the best in the business at 3B, but 2B has been an issue - Wong has been awful, and Gyorko hasn't been getting it done either. Peralta has never played 2B, and Diaz has played 2 innings at 2B in his entire professional career (he's also playing way over his minor league production and is due to come back to Earth). Greg Garcia? Cubs are running away with it, but the Cards are only one game out of the WC.

 

5) Blue Jays - Goins shouldn't be a major leaguer, and Darwin Barney isn't much better. Devon Travis tore up A-ball a few years ago and did well at AA, but his OBP is south of .300. If Tulo can return to career norms they might make another push.

 

6) Yankees - Pineda/Nova/Eovaldi need to right the ship and Tex needs to get healthy, but if they do Hill will be an improvement at either 3B or 2B.

[Devinep]

I'd disagree with the Cardinals since Carpenter can move to 2B and Perslta at 3B, but also add Houston who can move Valbuena to 1B

[jerichoholicninja]

I'd disagree with the Cardinals since Carpenter can move to 2B and Perslta at 3B, but also add Houston who can move Valbuena to 1B

 

Carptener has been playing a lot of first base since Peralta came back, with Moss in the outfield. If Wong is going to stick in CF then the question for them is if Hill is an upgrade over Adams.

[Devinep]

And the Answer is obviously no- look at Adam's stats

[BrewCrewBlueDevil]

The Brewers need to package Hill with a bullpen pitcher if the are going to get a decent return. With that being said Cecchini, Middlebrooks (lightening in a bottle?) and Magnifico need playing time at some point in the second half. If Hill is traded I do not want to see Perez get all the starts or Arcia up and Villar moved to third. If Arcia is up Villar needs to move to 2B or platoon at all three positions. Villar is a guy to build around and has not hit his prime. My guess is Arcia up in 2017 and a Villar transition is made in spring training.

[MadThinker88]

I highly doubt Hill would interest the Indians, even as a throw-in.

Granted Uribe is not a long term answer at 3rd, Jose Ramirez is proving he can hit MLB pitching while moving all around the diamond. Most games end with Jose at 3rd to give better late game defense.

 

Tribe has 2 prospects at the AAA level in Giovanny Urshela (great glove, limited stick) & Yandy Diaz (has more walks in his career then strikeouts).

 

Urshela came up last season about a week before Lindor. The 2 of them made a great improvement to the overall defense and the pitching was able to turn a corner knowing they didn't have to strike everyone out to be successful.

 

As minor trade targets, Yandy Diaz and Giovanny Urshela should be guys Stearns keeps an eye on and nabs one if the price is right...

[Roderick]

With ARI picking up $6.5M of Hill's contract, any team will only have to take on at most $3M

 

I always wondered about this. Technically is Arizona's payments tied directly to Hill and they go whereever he goes? I guess I assume the Brewers are paying the full Hill contract and the money Arizona paid them is on the side.

 

So if the Brewers trade Hill, just for examples sake, they could trade him and the other team would have to pay the full (no Arizona money) prorated-remaining contract for this season. Now obviously the Brewers are going to kick in money to get a better prospect, but can anyone confirm how that money is handled if the player is again moved?

[And That]

With ARI picking up $6.5M of Hill's contract, any team will only have to take on at most $3M

 

I always wondered about this. Technically is Arizona's payments tied directly to Hill and they go whereever he goes? I guess I assume the Brewers are paying the full Hill contract and the money Arizona paid them is on the side.

I wondered about that too, so I asked Jeff Euston of BP (and founder of Cot's) about it. Here is his response:

 

The short answer is that the clubs involved are generally free to work out any payment structure they like, with the one caveat being that the Commissioner's office must approve any transaction involving $1 million or more in cash.

 

I'd say the usual procedure is one team pays the other a lump sum, either at the time of the trade, spread over the remaining months of the season, or at some point after the season. The new club actually pays out the salary to the player, so he is paid by only one club. However, if a player's deal includes deferrals, his old club may remain responsible for deferred payments in the future. For example, Texas did that when trading ARod to the Yankees. Years later, when the Rangers ownership group changed, they accelerated payment of the deferred money ARod had coming.

 

If a player still has a significant amount of money left on his contract, the old club might agree to pay the new club some portion of the salary each year. Detroit did that when trading Prince Fielder to the Rangers. As long as the two sides agree - the player's agent might weigh in, too - MLB generally allows them to work any deal they like.

Hope that helps.

[reillymcshane]

Hill is someone who could really end up just about anywhere that a team is in playoff contention.

 

Veteran guy, playing solid, can handle a couple of positions well, getting on base at a .350 clip. That's the kind of player that many teams would like to have - some as a starter (or part time starter) and some as a versatile reserve.

[nate82]

In a Hill trade you are looking at a best case scenario where you get a player back like what the Brewers recently got for Krod or the trade last year of Broxton. The Brewers are going to get a wildcard who is in the low minors. There are plenty of teams that will be looking to get Hill. The Mets could be a team that takes a chance on Hill someone like Patrick Mazeika or best case scenario David Thompson make sense here. Thompson is probably a stretch and Mazeika is more likely in a Hill trade.

 

I still don't see the Royals as a fit but if they were Ramon Torres or Brandon Downes are possible.

[Austin Tatious]

I'd argue that Aaron Hill has been a very pleasant surprise. His value may be less than Parra's last year but that's in the zone. Hill is having a solid season. And, he's an infielder, at positions where it can be a challenge to find good production if you don't have it there.

[nate82]

I'd argue that Aaron Hill has been a very pleasant surprise. His value may be less than Parra's last year but that's in the zone. Hill is having a solid season. And, he's an infielder, at positions where it can be a challenge to find good production if you don't have it there.

 

Not even close. Parra had a good season last year and was considered an above average to elite defensively in the OF. Hill is nowhere close in value that Parra had last year.

[brewmann04]

I be happy to get a young a ball prospect

[And That]

Not even close. Parra had a good season last year and was considered an above average to elite defensively in the OF. Hill is nowhere close in value that Parra had last year.

By my eye, Hill has been a lot better in the infield this year than Parra was in the outfield last year.

 

I'm not able to look it up at the moment, but weren't defensive metrics down on Parra's work the past few years?

[MrTPlush]

Not even close. Parra had a good season last year and was considered an above average to elite defensively in the OF. Hill is nowhere close in value that Parra had last year.

By my eye, Hill has been a lot better in the infield this year than Parra was in the outfield last year.

 

I'm not able to look it up at the moment, but weren't defensive metrics down on Parra's work the past few years?

 

You are right. Eyeball test would come to the same conclusion.

[nate82]

Not even close. Parra had a good season last year and was considered an above average to elite defensively in the OF. Hill is nowhere close in value that Parra had last year.

By my eye, Hill has been a lot better in the infield this year than Parra was in the outfield last year.

 

I'm not able to look it up at the moment, but weren't defensive metrics down on Parra's work the past few years?

 

Yes the advanced stats showed that he was worse but his history of being an above average to an elite defensive player in the OF is what separates his value from Hill's and makes it that much more. Plus even with Hill's play so far he isn't even coming close to the value that Parra was providing offensively last year.

 

Hill's value is more along the lines of Broxton (low point) or even Krod (high point) than it is of Parra's. Though the Orioles over paid for Parra last year and gave up too much to get Parra from the Brewers.

[UMBrewer]

I think the Tigers are an ideal landing spot for Aaron Hill. They arent getting any production at all this year from their second or third baseman, and they are still in the thick of things in the NL Central/Wild Card Race. He's not a difference maker, but if you pick him up and one more big piece and then maybe you have the makings for a playoff push.

 

If the Brewers picked up what the owe for the remainder of the year on his salary they could get a guy on the Tigers top 10 prospect list in return i bet.

[billymac]

Ian Kinsler is hitting 298/353/502 with 14hrs, I think their 2b is doing ok

[1992casey]

When I think of trading Aaron Hill, I think of the time the Brewers traded for Jerry Hairston Jr. The Brewers didn't give up much to get him (Erik Komatsu). But it seems that contending teams are giving up more these days in order to shore themselves up for the stretch.

[adambr2]

I think Komatsu was actually like the #3 prospect in our system at the time. But that might have been more of a statement of how bad our farm was at the time rather than a statement of how much Hairston cost.

[MrTPlush]

I think Komatsu was actually like the #3 prospect in our system at the time. But that might have been more of a statement of how bad our farm was at the time rather than a statement of how much Hairston cost.

 

He was #10 on his highest Pre-2011 list. Most had him at #14 or worse.

[adambr2]

I think Komatsu was actually like the #3 prospect in our system at the time. But that might have been more of a statement of how bad our farm was at the time rather than a statement of how much Hairston cost.

 

He was #10 on his highest Pre-2011 list. Most had him at #14 or worse.,

 

Thanks. For what it's worth I don't know but maybe list graduations or his performance in 2011 bumped it up, so I was trying to remember where I was remembering #3; it was actually one of the last power 50s here.

 

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewPower50.do?power50Id=102

[JohnBriggs12]

Panik was taken out of Giant lineup with concussion symptoms, a delayed reaction to being hit in head about 10 days ago. With Duffy already on the DL and not producing to the level he was last year, and now an issue with Panik, it's worth monitoring the Giants as a possible landing spot for Hill.

[QuevedosTongue]

Seth Victor of BP Milwaukee on Aaron Hill's trade value. Short version is he speculates he's worth Gerardo Parra's return (Zach Davies) or better.

 

http://milwaukee.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/29/aaron-hills-trade-prospects/

[trwi7]

Parra had a near .900 OPS when he was traded last year. Hill doesn't have his value.