The Red Sox and Rich Hill are close to finalizing a minor league contract, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford (X link). It would be his fourth different team in Boston if he makes it to the majors at the end of the season. Including minor league deals, it will be his eighth contract with the organization.
Those who took most of the previous offices back in 2010. Hill is a Boston-area native who is liberal by association. Staying close to home is lovely. Hill is waiting to sign until the end of the season for the most part so he can coach his son's Little League team in Milton, Massachusetts this spring.
While he won't make the Sox's lineup directly, Hill could make a few appearances with Triple-A Worcester to get in game shape. It would be a surprise if the Red Sox don't call him up at some point before the end of the season. Hill has reportedly drawn attention from the Yankees, Dodgers and Twins, among others, during his recent pitching season.
Boston is a logical fit beyond local connections. The Red Sox entered the offseason with questions about the depth of their rotation. They entered James Paxton in a trade with the Dodgers. He won just three times before suffering a season-ending calf strain. That left the Sox short-handed with four men Brian Bello, Cutter Crawford, Nick Pivetta again Tanner Houck. The Sox plan to give back Cooper Criswell on the virus-related injured list starting tomorrow against the Orioles. He may have stepped into the starting fifth role, but he was working in relief for a few weeks before going on the shelf. The Red Sox may want to take a closer look at their pitching stats.
Since the start of the season, the depth of the Sox's rotation has been one of their biggest questions. They lost Lucas Giolito before the beginning of the year. Garrett Whitlock came down in April with oblique magazine. He injured his elbow during his build-up and had season-ending surgery. Houck, Crawford, Pivetta and Criswell all stepped up as the Sox had a surprisingly strong rotation through the first few months. They have had a very difficult time of late.
Red Sox starters have a 5.28 earned run average since the All-Star Break, which is only better than the Angels, White Sox, Rockies and Rangers. Crawford and Pivetta were hit by a home run ball. Houck's strikeout rate has dropped significantly since he reached his career high. Only Bello maintained or improved on his first-season production.
Hill will not single-handedly save the team. The 44-year-old southpaw turned in solid results from 2021-22. He had a rough time last year, allowing a 5.41 ERA through 146 1/3 innings. Much of that came in a poor 10th inning for the Padres after they acquired him last time out. Hill had a reasonable 4.76 ERA in 22 starts for the Pirates before the trade. The Sox will hope to be close to last year's first-round version without Hill working a full season. If he reaches the majors, he could work as a tandem starter with Criswell or push the righty in a multi-inning relief effort.
It was an unusual situation. Hill has hinted that he might sign late in the season for a few years, but he didn't commit to it until last season. MassLive's Chris Cotillo writes that the 19-year veteran turned down big league offers from Texas, Pittsburgh and Oakland over the winter. Apart from family considerations, he expressed an opportunity to ensure that he joins a team that has a chance to fight for a playoff spot. Boston is 2.5 games behind the Royals for the final American League Wild Card spot with six weeks to play.
Hill will be eligible to play in the postseason if the Sox qualify (assuming the contract is finalized soon). That's true even if you're still on the MLB roster at the end of the month. A player only needs to be with the organization in early September – not on the 40-man roster – to be eligible for the playoffs. The league office usually allows players who were under minor league contracts in early September to enter the playoffs in place of another injured player.
Photo courtesy of USA Today.
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