The first half of the MLB season was good for veteran pitcher Rich Hill, but after he was traded to the San Diego Padres, things went downhill. Through 22 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hill posted an ERA of 4.76, and that was good enough for the Friars to believe he could help them down the stretch.
But once he got to San Diego, his ERA ballooned to 8.23 in just 10 games. He never found his rhythm, and it cost him a spot in the lineup
But the 43-year-old isn’t done with baseball, and he wants to continue pitching next season — but there is a catch involved.
“I’m also realistic,” Hill said. “I have a pretty good gauge and a monitor on my body. And I think half a season is much more palatable than a full season.”
He wants to continue to stay in baseball shape but likely only make half the starts for a team. Whether that means joining late or spreading out his starts, he knows teams will be in need of pitching.
“Every team needs pitching,” Hill said. “I think as far as trying to be in what role or what capacity that is, I mean, that will be a wait and see.”
It remains to be seen if any team would go for this, but Hill could serve as an innings eater for a good team down the stretch. He has plenty of experience and could bring another veteran presence to a locker room.
If this plan of his works, it would likely be the final time we see Hill on the mound. He also likely wants to go out on a better note than what we saw with San Diego, and some team would likely give him a chance. But Hill also wants to spend more time with family, so only time will tell if we see him in the majors again.
“I have to talk to my family and see where we’re at,” Hill said. “But I would love to watch my son play Little League, and I can’t get that back. He’s gonna be 12, so it’s his last year. I’ve been fortunate enough to play this game for a long time and have a kind of position to be in that I’ve worked for and worked hard to be in and feel fortunate to be able to see that come to fruition, even through injuries and everything.”
While it wasn’t the season that anyone hoped for him once he was traded to the Padres, he did show some promise during his time in Pittsburgh. It seemed that he was never comfortable with San Diego, and that may have played into things.
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