The Dodgers’ season came to a bitterly disappointing conclusion Wednesday, but left-hander Rich Hill hopes it wasn’t the last time he dons their uniform. The pending free agent said after the club’s NLDS-ending loss to the Nationals that he wants to remain a Dodger in 2020, Andy McCullough of The Athletic tweets.
Hill’s weeks away from another trip to the open market, where he cashed in with the Dodgers entering the 2017 campaign. The late-career breakout hurler, whom the Dodgers acquired from the Athletics the previous summer, re-signed with Los Angeles on a three-year, $48MM contract. When Hill was healthy enough to take the mound, he lived up to that payday, evidenced by a 3.30 ERA/3.89 FIP with 10.68 K/9 against 2.97 BB/9. The problem is that injuries have consistently haunted Hill, who tossed just 327 regular-season innings over the life of his deal. He only amassed 58 2/3 in 2019, during which he totaled a mere 8 1/3 (including 2 2/3 in the playoffs) from June 20 onward.
Not only has a lack of durability hampered Hill, but as someone who’s set to turn 40 in March, he’s going into free agency as one of the oldest players available. However, even though free agency has been unkind to many aging players in the past couple offseasons, it shouldn’t preclude Hill from securing another guaranteed contract. After all, he’s still a bear to deal with for opposing offenses when he takes the mound, as he showed this year with a 2.45 ERA/4.10 FIP, 11.05 K/9 and 2.76 BB/9 and a 49.6 percent groundball rate.
While Hill’s plenty useful even in an injury-limited capacity, it’s unknown how serious the Dodgers will consider keeping him around. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw are sure to remain part of their rotation in 2020, while Kenta Maeda, Ross Stripling, Dustin May, Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin also represent in-house options who could factor into the mix. And with the offseason ahead, the Dodgers may pick up an outsider(s) in lieu of bringing back Hill and/or fellow soon-to-be free agent Hyun-Jin Ryu.
He just can’t stay healthy. Unless he is willing to undertake a swingman-like role, the Dodgers should be focusing their resources on bringing back Ryu, and adding more competent arms to their bullpen over Rich Hill.
If I’m Dodgers I’m going after Strausburg or Cole! I feel like if we can get one of those guys we will have a crazy good rotation next year. Imagin Cole/Strasbourg, Buehler, May Kershaw and Whoever else. If they don’t bring back Ryu. I like Ryu, a lot but I also think if we have a chance to get one of those guys I’m going after them over anyone, even Ryu. And I think Urias will be in the rotation. Maybe that’s far fetched, they don’t seem to be in on any big free agents, sometimes not even their own but I think that they have to see they need another ace to pair with Buehler and I’m not sure we have that yet. May should be good but not sure he’s there yet. They gotta get rid of Roberts though. It’s time to move on.
yeah, sign him and trade away kershaw!
Clayton is not going anywhere
He tell you that directly?
Clayton is still an effective pitcher…he’s not the dominant force you bring in relief on short rest to close out a deciding game anymore, but he would be a fantastic #2/3 moving forward…I say focus on the pen and let Maeda and the pups fill out the rest of the rotation
Solid SO and Ground ball rate. Someone will sign him
Yea, I don’t see a reason that if the Dodgers don’t sign him, someone like the Royals, Orioles, Marlins etc. wouldn’t sign him to a one year deal to flip him at the deadline.
Orioles already had him once…
He will be hurt at the deadline…..
The Astros could sign him as a #5 starter.
He can’t be any worse than Wade Miley has been lately.
Bye to Hill, Ryu, Roberts. Trade Peterson while his value is high. Try to trade Kenley and Kelly. Sign Cole.
This isn’t fantasy baseball.
Roberts isn’t going nowhere & the Dodger need to re sign Hyun Jin Ryu & Kelly is not going anywhere either
Agreed that Hill and Ryu can walk…Roberts has already been announced as returning next season so that’s off the table…neither Kenley or Kelly are going anywhere, we just need 2/3 more plus relievers for the pen…they could sign one of Cole/Strasburg and trade Joc for said bullpen help
Signing him to an incentive based contract with a team option makes the most sense to me. Hill comes off as the type who would be willing to bet on himself too, so it could work well for him and the team that signs him.
Solid pitcher, just can’t stay healthy. Dodgers should move on from Hill.
Hes no Kershaw. And that’s a good thing.
Sign Madison Bumgarner. He’s proven when it counts the most.
Shades of Marichal joining the Dodgers…..
He’s probably worth a low-guarantee/high-incentive-laden contract, giving how injury prone he is.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Dodgers do this offseason. They were stacked but just got bounced. I don’t know how far they want to go with the payroll but adding a Cole is the obvious pick to me to help cure their playoff letdowns. It’s just a hard roster to upgrade. They should be thinking about putting together the best possible playoff winning roster they can and it’s all about dominant pitching. If they could have a top three of Buehler, Cole, and Kershaw that’s legit even with Kershaws lack of playoff success. Ryu was great but they are in a position to win it all and Cole is a guy who can help get them there. Anything short of Cole or maybe Strasburg is a mistake in my opinion. An in house option likely gets them their 2019 results. They win the west but when the playoffs come they can’t matchup
With this current FO they are not giving out 200
million dollar contracts
anymore…..
Tbh, and this coming from a D-back fan, I don’t believe the rotation is a problem in Dodgerland. The lack of impact bats and too many versatile average bats is. Plus Bellinger and Seager went pretty cold in the postseason.
Lack of impact bats? That’s a hot take
Bullpen plain and simple
One year, 5 million!!??
Dodgers will re sign him. He can be part of the inter changeable never win anything that has made Andrew Friedman so famous.
Dear God, no!!! Keep The Blister as far away from Dodger Stadium as possible!
The Dodgers need to let Rich Hill walk because he isn’t worth any contract from the Dodgers since he spent 1/2 his last contract on the Injured list & it’s time the Dodgers get a divorce from Rich Hill
Well said
Ryu is the ERA title holder this year and he will obviously get a multi year deal but don’t be surprised if the Dodgers set a price limit they won’t go over no matter who else does.
He is a really good pitcher but this is the first time he has been this dominant for an entire season. His FIP was 3.10 and his BABIP Against is a rediculously unsustainable .214 and the bubble definitely popped down the stretch allowing 24 runs in his last 40 IP of the regular season. The Dodgers will resign him but you may have some pretty desperate teams that might push past what the Dodgers are willing to do.
The Dodgers did this with Zack Grienke when he won the ERA title and the Diamond Backs sold their own children to offer Grienke a tempting enough contract and Grienke was a legitemate ace.
Ryu is the most interesting Dodger off-season decision. In 2018, he had a great year but pitched less than half a year due to injury. In 2019, he had a great first half but faded a bit in the second half. Small sample size in the second half but coincidentally those numbers were closer to his career averages in MLB and his Korean league averages are also close to his career MLB stats. These factors point to some potential mean reversion from this year. Seems like a potential to overpay for a good pitcher that had an elite season this year.
Ruy was really good his first season too someone here did the math and if Belisario and co didnt allow to score his inherited runners he should had 2.5 era
Minor league deal with incesntives because of age & injuries is all he gets
He rejuvenated his career in Boston a couple years back.
They also are looking to slash payroll, and need a replacement for porcello.
Might be a good fit all around, bring Wright back as a LRP and backup for injury purposes
My humble opinion. Offer Ryu 2 years guaranteed at 40 million and a 3rd year where both can opt out, for the Dodgers much smaller per year average. Hill would offer a 1 year deal at 10 million to be a bullpen piece and help the young players like Freese does. Would go all in on Scherzer as a free agent, given that Cole is going to demand much more $$$. Would also look to try and pry away Chapman as a Free agent or Will Smith as a left hander to be part of the bullpen next year. Would sit down with Kenta Maeda and re-work his contract to keep him in the bullpen. And finally, would call Cleveland Indians and try to pry away SS Frankie Lindor and RP. Brad Hand, both too expensive for them and offer Lux, Ruiz, Gonsolin, Alvarez – Dodger prospects and OF. AJ Pollock and P. Yimi García. And then put Seager at 3B, Lindor at SS and batting first, Muncy at 2B and Turner with Beatty at 1B.
Outfield of Pederson/Taylor at LF, CF Verdugo and RF Bellinger. With Kike and Barnes as backups and C Will Smith. Would also retire Martin and Freese and maybe try to get C.Travis D’Arnuad again as a free agent to have experience backing up Smith. That pretty much is it ! Comments please.
Low base high incentive deal makes sense for Hill. Will be interesting what the Dodgers do with Ryu, who should get some looks for a 3-5 year deal. Dodgers can’t offer qualifying offer to him again. If the Dodgers pass on Ryu and Hill, they can opt to go after Cole. Maybe a 5 or 6 year deal. They have over $36mm coming off the books if they pass on Hill and Ryu. I’d rather have top tier pitchers for playoff runs rather than depth. The young guys can provide the depth. I say go with Cole, Buehler, Kershaw, Urias, and either May or Gonsolin. Stripling can provide depth. Maybe they can go 6 starters in the beginning to minimize Urias, May, and Gonsolin’s innings. I’d rather have Maeda come out of the pen. Kershaw’s $31mm goes away after the 2021 season.
Hill is going to be 40, anyone expecting 32 starts, 200+ IP, plus pitching in the postseason is just plain stupid. With Hill 20-25 starts and an ERA around 3-3.50 is a reasonable expectation, he’s a great pitcher in the postseason and it would be great if the Dodgers re-signed him.
I think the Dodgers pass and go for broke with Cole.. could see Hill taking a cheap one yr deal with a team with a modest payroll in need of SP ala PIT, MIL or COL.