Rich Hill has attracted plenty of interest after his surprising finish to 2015 and Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the veteran left-hander is expected to sign with a team this week. No word on the front-runner in the mix, but the Red Sox are not expected to retain him.
After stints with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate and the independent Long Island Ducks, Hill signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in August. He was fantastic in four starts as a September call-up, posting a 1.55 ERA with 36 strikeouts and just five walks over 29 innings. While it was a small sample with a pitcher who hadn’t started in the majors since 2009, Mike Petriello of MLB.com notes that there was something tangible behind it, including the spin rate and horizontal movement on his curveball as well as his placement on the rubber.
The Padres and Rays are among the teams who have expressed interest in Hill, who turns 36 in March. There’s a chance he could end up with a multi-year deal.
