The Boston Red Sox are currently down two starting pitchers, with James Paxton and Cooper Criswell both currently on the injured list. This injury situation is forcing the Red Sox's hands, as they are reportedly about to turn towards an old friend in Rich Hill for help. Hill, the 44-year-old veteran, is “trending” toward signing with the Red Sox, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.
Hill and the Red Sox are reportedly in agreement on a minor-league deal, and with Boston needing some help as soon as possible given the importance of the next few games in their playoff hopes, there could be a chance that Hill gets called up to provide some relief, either by making some spot starts or by pitching off the bullpen.
There is a great sense of familiarity between Rich Hill and the Red Sox franchise. As pointed out by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors.com, this will be Hill's fourth separate stint in Boston and the eighth contract he has had with the organization, including minor-league deals. The veteran southpaw began his career with the team back in 2010, and he last pitched for them in 2022 — spanning 13 seasons.
At this point, however, it's not quite clear just how much quality pitching Hill has left in the tank. He is now 44 years of age, which makes him quite a huge injury risk — not exactly what the Red Sox need at the moment given their injuries — and he was coming off a disastrous end to the 2023 season that had him languishing in the free-agent market until August 2024.
Hill, after being acquired by the San Diego Padres at the 2023 trade deadline, struggled mightily. He made just five starts before the Padres moved him out of the rotation, and in those five starts, he put up an ERA of 11.34 — with San Diego losing all of those games. He then made five appearances off the bullpen, which weren't that much better.
The hope for the Red Sox is that the 44-year-old is fresh enough to contribute positively seeing as he hasn't suited up for an MLB team this season yet.
Can Rich Hill defy age once more for the Red Sox?
Rich Hill's career is one of the biggest comeback success stories in MLB history. Hill underwent a plethora of injury problems and even went through Tommy John Surgery back in 2011. At 36 years old, the Red Sox called him back up to the big leagues in September to soak up some innings for a 78-win team. Not too many had high hopes for Hill. But instead, Hill had the best years of his career from age-35 to age-42 — defying expectations along the way.
Hill could have had an easier path back to the majors had he decided that he was okay with being a relief pitcher. But Hill knew his worth and fought for his place in a big-league rotation — and won. From 2015 to 2022, Hill made 151 starts across stints with the Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets, and he put up an ERA of 3.31 cross 784.1 innings. He also struck out 837 batters during this time frame.
He has also been solid throughout his playoff tenure. In 12 playoff appearances from 2015 to 2022, Hill put up an ERA of 2.70 in 50 innings (12 games, 11 starts). He has made a career out of defying expectations, so perhaps he has one more act of defiance left in him with the Red Sox.
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