The Reds are in agreement with right-hander Aaron Wilkerson on a minor league contract, reports Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. Wilkerson returns to the affiliated ranks after spending a season and a half in Korea.
A former Red Sox minor leaguer, Wilkerson reached the majors with the Brewers in 2017. He pitched parts of three seasons with Milwaukee, allowing a 6.88 ERA across 35 1/3 innings. After the Brewers outrighted him from their 40-man roster, Wilkerson moved to the foreign ranks. He spent a season with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. He returned stateside on a minor league contract with the Athletics in 2023. The A’s granted him his release after 14 Triple-A appearances so he could sign on with the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Wilkerson spent a season and a half with the Giants. He posted a 2.26 ERA over 13 starts during the second half of the ’23 season. That earned him a new deal for the 2024 campaign. Wilkerson took the ball 32 times and put up a 3.84 ERA through 196 2/3 innings. He struck out 20.5% of opposing hitters against a 3.3% walk percentage.
The Giants added Tucker Davidson and re-signed Charlie Barnes to serve as their foreign-born pitchers for the upcoming season. That made it apparent that Wilkerson would not return to the team. (KBO clubs are limited to two foreign pitchers and three non-Korean players overall.) Wilkerson is likely to open the season as rotation or long relief depth for the Reds at Triple-A Louisville.
Boom
I remember he was included on an MLBTR, “knocking on the door” article when he was still with the Red Sox, right before going to the Brewers.
For a moment I thought you were talking about Billy Jo Robidoux.
Pretty much what we expected.
brad wilkerson walked less in two full seasons with the rangers than he did in any of his first 4 mlb seasons. i really thought that guy was going to be a dude.
anyway, good luck aaron.
Terrible off season.
We need an outfielder ! A big league outfielder !
Long relief depth at Louisville? possibly. In Louisville’s rotation? Highly unlikely Besides the Reds 5 rotation SP (Greene, Lodolo, Singer, Abbott, & Martinez) there’s Ashcraft, Lowder, Petty, Phillips,Spiers, Acuna, Owen White, Drew Parrish and possibly Lyon Richardson ahead of him.