The Kansas City Royals signed free-agent left-hander Rich Hill to a minor-league deal on Tuesday, the club announced. Hill will report to the team's spring training complex in Surprise, Ariz., and is expected to join Triple-A Omaha soon. Despite being 45 years old, the veteran southpaw is giving it another go as he tries to return to the big leagues for a 21st season. The former fourth-round selection by the Chicago Cubs in 2002 out of Michigan doesn't have much left in the tank but could provide the Royals with some left-handed pitching depth at some point this year, either as a spot starter or long-reliever out of the bullpen. For fantasy purposes, he can continue to be ignored everywhere. Hill appeared in just four games out of the Boston Red Sox's bullpen in 2024 and allowed two earned runs on a homer while walking three and fanning five.
Free-agent left-hander Rich Hill said that he wants to pitch again in 2025. Hill's performance for the United States in the WBSC Premier12 tournament with four scoreless innings against Japan certainly helps his cause, although he'll most likely have to settle for a minor-league deal. The 44-year-old southpaw only pitched in 3 2/3 relief innings for the Boston Red Sox in 2024 and allowed two earned runs. If Hill does land with another team on the open market this offseason, he'll be a long shot to return any fantasy value and will mostly be used in mop-up relief duty out of the bullpen instead of as a starter. In 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, Hill wasn't very effective, posting a 5.41 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 129 strikeouts and 58 walks in 146 1/3 innings over 32 outings (27 starts).
The Boston Red Sox recalled veteran left-hander Rich Hill from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. The club also recalled pitcher Greg Weissert and placed pitcher Lucas Sims (lat) on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain and designated right-hander Brad Keller for assignment. Hill returns to the big leagues after throwing two scoreless innings in his only outing on the farm for Worcester. The 44-year-old southpaw doesn't have much left at this point in his career and is off the fantasy radar with an expected role coming out of Boston's bullpen. The 19-year MLB veteran went 8-14 with a 5.41 ERA (4.87 FIP), a 1.52 WHIP, 129 strikeouts and 58 walks in 146 1/3 innings over 32 appearances (27 starts) in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. Hill is likely to work in more of a mop-up, long-relief role in Boston.
Free-agent veteran left-hander Rich Hill signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox on Friday. Hill will likely report to Triple-A Worcester early next week. This was the expectation all along. The 44-year-old southpaw won't be guaranteed to make it to the big leagues with time running out in the 2024 season, but he'll give the Red Sox some veteran starting pitching depth with James Paxton likely out for the year with a partially torn calf muscle that he suffered earlier this week. Even if Hill makes starts for Boston in September, he'll be a fantasy streamer to avoid. Hill has not pitched at all in 2024 and sported a 5.41 ERA (4.87 FIP), a 1.52 WHIP and a 129:58 K:BB in 146 1/3 innings over 32 appearances (27 starts) last year with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. There is very minimal upside here, if any at all.
Things are trending toward free-agent left-hander Rich Hill signing with the Boston Red Sox, according to a source. If Hill rejoins the Red Sox, it will be on a minor-league deal. Cooper Criswell (illness) is returning to the starting rotation on Friday for the Red Sox to take the place of left-handed veteran James Paxton, who suffered a partially torn calf muscle and is likely to miss the rest of the season. But Hill would give Boston some more rotation insurance in case Criswell doesn't work out. The 44-year-old Hill pitched for the Red Sox from 2010-12 and then again in 2015 and 2022 and lives in Massachusetts. He hasn't pitched at all in 2024 and went 8-14 with a 5.41 ERA, a 1.72 WHIP and a 19.6% strikeout rate in 146 1/3 innings last year with the Pirates and Padres. If Hill makes it to the big leagues to close out the year in Boston, he won't be fantasy relevant.
Free-agent left-hander Rich Hill is back on the mound and has interest from the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. At 44, Hill is hoping to get back for what would be a 20th season in the major leagues. What kind of role Hill would occupy if he were to lace up his cleats in 2024 remains to be seen, as he made five appearances as a reliever last season with the San Diego Padres. The veteran southpaw didn't look like he had much left in the tank, however, managing a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 129 strikeouts and 58 walks through 146 1/3 innings (27 starts) during time with the Friars and mostly the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hill will have some low-end streaming appeal in fantasy in favorable matchups if he latches on with a contender and makes starts for them, but he's safe to ignore on waiver wires for now.
Free-agent veteran left-hander Rich Hill said he is ramping up throwing bullpen sessions in preparation to sign with a team in August as a versatile pitcher. It appears that Hill is healthy, but it remains to be seen how much interest he'll generate on the open market after going a combined 8-14 with a bloated 5.41 ERA (4.87 FIP) and 1.52 WHIP with 129 strikeouts and 58 walks in 146 1/3 innings pitched over 32 appearances (27 starts) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres last year. He's no spring chicken at 44 years old but does have plenty of MLB experience with 19 seasons under his belt. If Hill is picked up by a club in the second half of the season, he won't be guaranteed to have a big role and will most likely operate as a swingman/long-reliever out of the bullpen, leaving him minimal fantasy appeal.
San Diego Padres left-hander Rich Hill intends to pitch again next season. The well-traveled 43-year-old seems to feel he's got some more left in the tank ahead of free agency, despite registering the worst ERA (5.41) and WHIP (1.52) over his 146 1/3 innings pitched in a decade of play. Hill looked his age after joining San Diego for the stretch run, slinging to a ghastly 8.23 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in 27 1/3 IP. We'll have to wait and see where the southpaw's merry-go-round will land him next, after pitching for 13 MLB teams throughout the course of his journeyman career, but Hill shouldn't be fantasy relevant in 2024 drafts.
The San Diego Padres put left-hander Rich Hill on waivers on Tuesday to see if another team will pick him up for the last few weeks of the regular season, according to a source. If nobody comes calling, he'll remain with the Padres for the rest of the year. The 43-year-old just hasn't been good in 29 appearances (27 saves) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Padres in 2023, so there's a good chance he'll go unclaimed. The 43-year-old southpaw was acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade in early August, and he's been even worse in his time in San Diego, giving up 25 runs (23 earned) on 31 hits (eight home runs) while walking 10 and striking out 19 in 22 1/3 innings over seven outings (five starts). Hill is well over the hill and doesn't appear to have much left in his career.
Rich Hill Returning To Padres Rotation On Wednesday
San Diego Padres left-hander Rich Hill will return to the starting rotation for the Friars on Wednesday to face the St. Louis Cardinals on the road. The Padres need another starter after they placed right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) on the 15-day injured list on Monday. Hill will have a solid matchup against the disappointing Cardinals in his return to a starting role this week, but the 43-year-old southpaw has also gone 0-3 with an ugly 9.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in his first three starts with San Diego after coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a deadline deal. In 14 innings for the Padres, he's surrendered 14 earned runs on 18 hits (five home runs) while walking five and striking out 11. We wouldn't recommend him as a DFS streamer.
