After losing Johan Rojas for the rest of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies have dipped into the trade market to add a center fielder.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was first to report that the Phillies are acquiring center fielder Derek Hill and international bonus money from the Chicago White Sox for prospects Dylan Campbell and Jose Colmenares.
This trade comes after the Phillies made the shocking announcement on Wednesday that the aforementioned Rojas would miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn UCL. The 25-year-old was on the verge of returning to the Phillies after nearly completing an 80-game suspension for PED use.
The Phillies will now add Hill to their roster, who brings both a great glove and speed. Hill was in his first season with the White Sox after he was claimed off waivers towards the end of last season after the Miami Marlins designated him for assignment.
In 50 games this season with Chicago, the 30-year-old is slashing .213/.284/.375 with four home runs, eight RBI and seven stolen bases. Hill has also previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants.
While the Phillies have relied heavily on rookie Justin Crawford in center field this season, the addition of Hill brings both versatility and depth in the outfield. The ballclub currently has Brandon Marsh and Adolis García manning the corners.
Garcia, however, suffered an apparent shoulder injury during yesterday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, with the severity of the injury not yet determined.
Hill will now join the Phillies on their current road trip when they play a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. The Phillies have remained one of the better teams in baseball since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager. They have won seven of their last 10 games and hold the second Wild Card spot in the National League.
The Phillies have a respectable 37-31 record after an ugly 9-19 start to the year, which saw manager Rob Thomson lose his job as manager.
