Hill re-signs with D-backs for 2 years, 11M

PHOENIX -- Aaron Hill maintained all along that he believed Arizona was the right fit, and now that he will be back for two more years, the Diamondbacks can turn their attention to the back end of the rotation and bullpen help. Hill has agreed to a two-year, 11 million deal that is to be announced pending the results of a physical exam Tuesday, sources said Monday afternoon, a move that keeps the D-backs middle infield in place for the defense of their NL West title. Free agents John McDonald and Willie Bloomquist previously re-signed. With that taken care of, general manager Kevin Towers is expected to turn his offseason attention tokicking the tires ona veteran starting pitcher and acquiring a second left-hander to go with 2011 Rule 5 find Joe Paterson. Hill hit .315 with 12 doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs in 33 games for the D-backs after being acquired from Toronto with John McDonald on Aug. 23 in a deal for Kelly Johnson, and he started every game but one.The D-backs paid Hill a 1 million buyout when they turned down his 8 million option for 2012, but that move was expected. He will make 5.5 million in 2012 and 2013. Towers was quoted last Friday as saying the D-backs have reached out to free agent pitchers as the market develops, also saying, If we could add some more veteran pitching to our club, we would. The D-backs have been linked to right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, whom they originally pursued when he left Japan before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 and whom Towers got a good look at as San Diegos general manager. Kuroda throws strikes, but he also is more of a fly ball pitcher and has not fared well in his few games at Chase Field. Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, Joe Saunders and Josh Collmenter are considered the top four in the rotation right now, with youngsters Wade Miley and Jarrod Parker in the conversation for the fifth spot. Collmenter finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting announced by the BBWAA on Monday.The D-backs remain coy about retaining Saunders, who is expected to make about 7.5 million in his final year arbitration this winter. If he is not tendered a contract, it is unlikely they would open the season with three young starters behind Kennedy and Hudson.Left-handers Bruce Chen and Chris Capuano and right-handers Joel Pineiro and Jon Garland are among the veterans starters on the free-agent market, but the D-backs have been tight-lipped about their interest.A former D-back draft choice, Capuano has pitched well after two Tommy John surgeriesbut is said to be seeking a two-year deal, which might lessen any D-backs interest inasmuch as their farm system is stacked with near-ready pitching. Joe Beimel, Mike Gonzalez, Valley resident John Grabow, Damaso Marte, Trever Miller, Darren Oliver and Arthur Rhodes are among the plentiful group of left-handed free-agent relievers. The D-backs previous front office had interest in Rhodes at the 2008 winter meetings before he signed with Cincinnati, but he was released by Texas earlier this season only to win a World Series ring with St. Louis. Towers, in Milwaukee for the general managers meetings this week, also expects to spend some face time with possible trade partners in preparation for the winter meetings in December. Weve already done our due diligence on which organizations we think are target organizations. There is probably a handful of teams that we might have different needs that we kind of match up, Towers said. Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter