Rich Hill has had an
interesting journey in the MLB and with the Boston Red Sox. Once a promising
pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Hill pitched to an 11-8 record with a 3.92 ERA
in 32 starts during the 2007 season. His career command issues and arm injuries
derailed his career ever since that season.
Hill eventually signed on
with the Red Sox in 2010 as a starter. The team eventually converted him into a
reliever where he performed well. In 2012, Hill had a 1.83 ERA in 19 innings
before he suffered yet another arm injury.
Hill eventually was
phased out of the MLB and into independent baseball. In 2015, he came back to the
MLB with the Red Sox where he rejuvenated his career. He pitched to a 1.55 ERA
in 29 innings with 36 strikeouts in four starts.
This season Hill has been
hindered by blisters, starting only 20 games. But he’s pitched well in those 20
starts, going 12-5 with a 2.15 ERA with 129 strikeouts in 110 innings. The main
point however, is that Hill is currently signed only for this year.
The Red Sox have another
chance at acquiring Hill via free agency. The team needs starting pitching. It
makes sense.
However, the age is a
factor. At 36 years old, Hill will most likely command a multi-year deal, that
is a two year, maybe three year deal worth upwards of $10 million per year. Personally,
I see him getting a two year, $28 million-dollar deal. For a 36 year old
pitcher, a lot that could go wrong, especially with a guy that has had multiple
injuries in his career. This doesn’t even mention the Red Sox need to fill a
void that David Ortiz leaves, a void that doesn’t come cheap. The team has a
lot of money tied up in pre-existing contracts as well, which makes money
somewhat tight with the franchise.
But I think the Red Sox
should spend the money on the Hill. They need starting pitching. It showed in
the postseason. No starting pitcher had a quality start or made it out of the
fifth inning. This is horrendous.
However, Hill has pitched
well in the NLCS in his one start so far, going six innings with six strikeouts
and getting the win. He showed he has the capability to win in the playoffs
with his start.
The Red Sox need a
quality starting pitcher. With the inconsistency of Steven Wright, Clay
Buchholz, and Eduardo Rodriguez, combined with the average quality pitching
from Drew Pomeranz, the Red Sox have few solid options. Hill would be a
consistent option for the Red Sox. If they spend money, they should consider
Rich Hill as a third option after David Price and Rick Porcello.
The Red Sox skipped
out on Hill last season. They shouldn’t make the same mistake this offseason.
