Free agent left-hander Rich Hill is representing the USA within the Premier12 event, scheduled to start out Thursday night time’s sport. However he’s open to returning to Main League Baseball in 2025, which might be his age-45 season.
“I clearly love the sport of baseball, I like the work and competitors or I wouldn’t be doing this,’’ Hill says to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “However we’ll see what the long run holds so far as enjoying. I’m undecided if this can be it or not. I feel we’ll in all probability know in a month or so. I’d like to play one other yr and have a possibility to get into the postseason and win a World Sequence. That’s everyone’s dream. I’ve been shut a few instances, however it’s not like something I’ve skilled within the sport. Enjoying within the postseason, there’s nothing prefer it. Nothing in any respect prefer it.’’
Regardless of that willingness to maintain taking the mound, he additionally appears to be conscious the chance won’t come. “I do know I can nonetheless present innings,” he says. “However, if not, and that’s it, I can name it by myself phrases, understanding I’ve been lucky to have plenty of actually cool experiences on this sport.’’ If Hill doesn’t get the enjoying alternative he’s searching for, Nightengale relays that Hill could be open to non-playing roles, maybe in teaching or another off-field place.
Hill is coming off an experimental 2024 season that didn’t go particularly nicely. He tried to observe by way of on a artistic plan whereby he would deliberately sit out the primary half of the season. The concept was that he may spend time along with his household and maintain his arm recent for a stretch run, then choose his touchdown spot primarily based on how the season was enjoying out.
It was an unorthodox script however one with some thought behind it. Hill signed with the Pirates in 2023 and pitched decently, posting a 4.76 earned run common. However he then bought flipped to the Padres earlier than his outcomes backed up and the membership fell from rivalry. The concept behind his 2024 plan was that he would save his gasoline for later within the yr, versus working out within the late summer time. He would additionally theoretically scale back his probabilities of enjoying out the ultimate days of the season on a membership out of the race.
Sadly, the speculation turned out to be higher than the praxis on this case. Hill adopted by way of on his plan by preserving his arm prepared on his personal time. However then he settled for a minor league deal for the Purple Sox, a fringe contender, in the midst of August. They did add him to their roster in late August however let him make simply 4 reduction appearances, by which he posted a 4.91 ERA, earlier than designating him for project after which releasing him.
Presumably, Hill is contemplating a transfer again to a extra conventional timeline for subsequent yr, since he says he’ll in all probability know “in a month or so” whether or not he’s coming again or not. The 2024 season doesn’t give him a lot to market to golf equipment, however he was a fantastic innings eater for the primary half of 2023 and had an ERA round 4.00 within the two prior campaigns. He tossed 158 2/3 innings in 2022 with a 3.86 ERA after which a 4.27 ERA over 124 1/3 innings in 2023.
Given Hill’s age, it’s outstanding that persevering with to pitch is even a consideration, however his profession arc has not often taken the apparent path. He had some early profession success nearly 20 years in the past now, together with throwing 195 innings in 2007 with a 3.92 ERA. However accidents and underperformance led to a decade of him toiling away with out a lot to indicate for it. From 2008 to 2014, he was solely in a position to throw 153 huge league innings with a 5.41 ERA, bouncing round to varied golf equipment.
However then he had an incredible profession resurgence that began in 2015. He parlayed a robust exhibiting with the Lengthy Island Geese of the unbiased Atlantic League right into a cope with the Purple Sox. A tiny 1.55 ERA in 4 begins with Boston led to a $6MM assure on a one-year pact with the Athletics for 2016. He would put up a 2.12 ERA that yr between Oakland and the Dodgers, getting traded midseason. That led to a three-year, $48MM deal to return to Los Angeles, a contract that began in his age-37 season, an incredible time for a pitcher to get his huge payday.
He gave the Dodgers 327 innings with a 3.30 ERA over the course of that deal. His time with the Dodgers was additionally when he bought a lot of the postseason expertise that he clearly treasures. He did toss three playoffs innings for the Cubs approach again in 2007 however then 50 postseason frames for the Dodgers from 2016 to 2019. Sadly, a hoop eluded him in that point. The Dodgers lastly received all of it in 2020, their first title since 1988, however Hill signed with the Twins that yr.
The outcomes haven’t been nearly as good these days, however that’s not likely too stunning, contemplating his age. Maybe Hill can once more defy the percentages and engineer one other comeback. If not, one of many extra distinctive trajectories will lastly wind down.
