Aaron Hill Drawing Trade Interest From Teams
We are a little more than a week away from the start of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks and there are still some questions on who exactly is going to make the 25-man roster.
Second baseman Aaron Hill is one of those guys who is a lock to make the Opening Day roster, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be in a Diamondbacks uniform for the long haul.
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According to MLB Daily Rumors, the D’Backs are receiving interest from other teams on Hill. MLB Daily Rumors cites a source and the article says it’s “unclear” on which teams are looking at Hill’s services.
This spring, Hill’s name has already been brought up in trade rumors. It makes sense for a number of reasons.
First off, the D’Backs front office would love to move Hill’s contract considering where their payroll is currently at. The second baseman has two years left on his deal that will pay him $24 million, A team would likely take that on considering Hill just turned 33 and is only a couple of years removed from putting up big numbers.
Arizona has plenty of depth in the middle infield as well. If Hill is indeed moved elsewhere, the D’Backs can plug-in Nick Ahmed at shortstop and move Chris Owings over to second. They could also call up Brandon Drury, who has hit .435 with three home runs during the spring.
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Considering what Hill has done the past two years, playing those guys on a regular basis wouldn’t be a huge drop-off. Plus, you would be saving a lot of money in the process.
Now, the question remains is where Hill could end up if he’s traded. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com mentioned the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels as two teams that could use help at second base.
Jedd Gyorko of the Padres struggled last year and he hasn’t had a very good spring. The Angels replaced Howie Kendrick with Josh Rutledge, who doesn’t offer a lot of power or speed and has a career .259 average with having played his home games at Coors Field.
It makes sense why both teams would be looking to add a bat like Hill’s at second considering their current options at the position.
The D’Backs are in no rush to trade Hill, however. They can take their time and find the best trade proposal out there, whether it comes from the Padres, Angels or another club.
Ideally, Hill gets off to a hot start to kick off the season and the D’Backs can get a nice return for him in a trade and get some at-bats for their young guys in the process.
Keep your fingers crossed that Hill can stay healthy and return to his form of a couple years ago.