Rich Hill
How can I miss you if you won't go away? I lost count, but lefty Rich Hill has been on the Red Sox roster three times. Sometimes people remarry their ex, but three times? I have nothing against Hill as he has a local connection, suffered personal and professional hardship, and is a lefty.
Hill has mentioned a return to somewhere, anywhere, for 2024. The 2023 season was not the best time for Hill as he managed to negotiate his Pittsburg days into a trade with the contending Padres. Hill went 1-4 and tossed to an 8.23 ERA with the Friars. Batters beat him like a spring cleaning rug.
Hill can give you innings, but the idea behind those innings is to keep the score sensible, and the soon-to-be 44-year-old had a wee bit of difficulty in that aspect of the game. If you are adventurous, look at his 22 Pirates starts and a semi-shabby 4.76 ERA.
The Pirates coughed up $8 million for Hill, and in today's financial baseball world, that is pitching chump change. Hill will get similar money somewhere in 2024 as rotations fall apart and some shoring up is needed. Maybe Bloom will surface somewhere and sign him? But if not, there is always fellow lefty and former teammate Breslow.