Rich Hill, a left-handed pitcher with a career ERA of 8.23, has remained unsigned on the free-agent market after struggling with the Pirates and Padres last season. Hill, who has spent some time with the New York Yankees in his long MLB career, is still hoping to return to the mound for the 2024 season, which would be his 20th.
A perplexing free-agent prospect, he would have to be regarded MiLB depth for their Triple-A team rather than a legitimate Major League possibility.
The Yankees and Dodgers are interested in Rich Hill.
Rich Hill spent 5.1 innings with the New York Yankees in 2014, one of many teams he has played for in recent seasons. The southpaw has also spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was a huge success from 2016 to 2019, making two World Series trips and pitching to an impressive 3.16 ERA with 427 strikeouts. That was over a half-decade ago, and he’s no longer the starter he was when he was a potential middle-of-the-rotation option. Hill’s fastball had an average velocity of less than 90 MPH, and regardless of who contracts him, he can only be considered a Minor League depth starter.
It’s interesting to see two serious contenders, the Dodgers and Yankees, express interest in him, given that both teams are looking to add arms to their rotation and bullpen at the deadline, so perhaps this is a way for them to fill out their MiLB depth chart after trading some arms from that pool for Major League upgrades. Still, this is a perplexing situation given that Rich Hill is 44 years old, an age when athletes are rarely considered for MLB roster places. Father time takes its toll on everyone, and after last season, it appears that Rich Hill, who had his worst ERA since 2013, has finally caught up.
