Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Red Sox and Rich Hill are close to agreeing on a contract.
A baseball source confirmed that the sides were moving toward an agreement Thursday night with the expectation that a deal to bring the 44-year-old back to his hometown organization will soon be finalized. WEEI’s Rob Bradford first reported that the Red Sox and Hill are finalizing a minor league contract.
Rich Hill is back, back again. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)AP
The expectation is that Hill will report to Triple-A Worcester in the coming days. After a 5-1 loss to the Orioles, manager Alex Cora had little to say about the pending addition but noted he “just found out” a deal was close.
Hill, who previously pitched for the Sox in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2022, has not thrown a competitive pitch this season but impressed various scouts during a showcase he held in Waltham late last week. The Milton native had major league offers on the table last winter — including from the defending champion Rangers, as well as the Athletics and Pirates — after splitting 2023 between Pittsburgh and San Diego and logging a 5.41 ERA in 32 games (146 ⅓ innings). But he chose instead to hold off on pursuing a contract until after his 12-year-old son, Brice, was done with his Little League season. Hill coached Brice’s team in Milton and recently went on a trip with his son’s team to Cooperstown around the same time he threw for clubs. The Red Sox sent a scout to see him throw last Friday.
The fit for the Red Sox is an obvious one with lefty James Paxton — who was reacquired ahead of last month’s trade deadline to reinforce the starting rotation — a “long shot” to return this season after suffering a tear in his right calf Sunday. While it’s unclear exactly what Hill has left in the tank at this point in his career, he’s another option for the fifth spot along with righty Cooper Criswell, who is expected to return from the COVID injured list and take Paxton’s spot Friday at Camden Yards. The Red Sox have plenty of familiarity with Hill, having had him in the organization just two years ago, and will provide him with the opportunity to pitch close to home once again.
If Hill does throw a pitch in the majors before the end of the season, it’ll mark the 20th major league season in which he has done so. His debut came on June 15, 2005, just a month before new WooSox teammate Roman Anthony celebrated his first birthday.
If a deal is finalized, it’ll mark the eighth time Hill has signed a free agent contract with the Red Sox. He did so twice in 2010, first to join the club in June, then re-sign in December. He re-signed again in Dec. 2011. In Feb. 2014, as a free agent, he signed with Boston, then after being cut during camp, re-signed right before Opening Day. He pitched in Pawtucket before the Angels purchased his rights. In Aug. 2015, Hill returned for a sixth time and reignited his career with a strong showing down the stretch. His seventh deal came in Dec. 2021 when he signed a one-year deal for 2022.
The Dodgers and Yankees were rumored to be interested in Hill in recent weeks.
