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The Red Sox have acquired infielder Aaron Hill and cash considerations from the Brewers for right-hander Aaron Wilkerson and second baseman Wendell Rijo, according to a team announcement.
On its face, the move is a surprising one for a Red Sox club that is known to be targeting starting pitching help in advance of the trade deadline. Wilkerson has been thought of as a candidate to start in the majors this year after succeeding at Triple-A Pawtucket.
Hill, 34, has split time at second and third base so far this season for Milwaukee and provides a depth option for Boston at both positions. The Sox obviously have Dustin Pedroia entrenched at second base, but could use Hill as a platoon partner with Travis Shaw at third base.
Hill has hit .283/.359/.421 with 8 home runs in 78 games for Milwaukee this season, and is a veteran of 12 major-league seasons with three different clubs. He is owed roughly $6 million through the end of this season on his expiring contract, though the Diamondbacks are picking up some off that tab.
Wilkerson, 27, has split the season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, posting a remarkable 2.14 ERA in 92.1 innings. Wilkerson was originally signed out of the independent American Association in 2014, and has succeeded at every level of the minors for Boston.
Rijo, 20, was ranked by MLB.com as the 17th-best prospect in a deep Red Sox system. He has struggled to a .201/.267/.276 line in 62 games with High-A Salem and Double-A Portland so far this season, and has hit just .186 in 51 games with Portland. Rijo projects as an offensive-minded regular in the majors.