19-Year MLB Veteran Heads Back to Boston

BOSTON, MA: According to Ian Browne of MLB.com, Rich Hill and the Red Sox have officially reached an agreement on a minor league contract.On Tuesday, the veteran will report to Worcester, the Triple-A team.

These have covered several front offices dating back to 2010. Hill, a native of the Boston region, seems at ease with the company. It makes sense to remain near to home. In order to coach his son's Little League club in Milton, Massachusetts this spring, Hill waited to sign until thus late in the season.

Hill won't join the Sox right away, but he might play a few games with Triple-A Worcester to hone his skills. If the Red Sox don't call him up before the season ends, it will come as a surprise. Hill allegedly attracted interest during his recent throwing sessions from the Twins, Yankees, and Dodgers, among other teams.

Since the All-Star Break, Red Sox starters have had an earned run average of 5.28, which is only higher than that of the Angels, White Sox, Rockies, and Rangers. The home run ball has taken some battering from Crawford and Pivetta. As Houck's workload has reached a career-high, his strikeout rate has precipitously decreased. Bello is the only player who has continued or increased his early-season output.

Hill isn't going to save the staff on his alone. The 44-year-old southpaw produced strong bottom of the lineup performances in 2021–2022. Last year, he struggled worse, giving up a 5.41 ERA in 146 1/3 innings. A large portion of that was in the Padres' miserable 10 games following their deadline acquisition of him.

Prior to the trade, Hill had a far more manageable 4.76 ERA in 22 starts for the Pirates. The Sox are hoping to avoid having Hill work a complete season and instead obtain something more like to the first half of last year. Should he make it to the majors, he might partner with Criswell as a tandem starter or force the righty to return to relief work for several innings.