Rich Hill DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

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.