The White Sox announced today that outfielder Andrew Benintendi and right-hander Steven Wilson have been reinstated from the injured list. In corresponding moves, outfielder Duke Ellis was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte while left-hander Tim Hill was designated for assignment.
Hill, 34, signed with the White Sox in the offseason on a one-year deal with a guarantee of $1.8MM. The Sox were surely hoping that the experienced groundballer could provide a veteran presence to the club while also perhaps turning himself into a midseason trade chip.
Unfortunately, the results haven’t quite been there for Hill so far this year. He has made 27 appearances for the Sox but has an earned run average of 5.87. That’s obviously not a great number, but it’s possible that Hill has been more unlucky than bad.
His 11% strikeout rate is less than half the league average, but that’s not terribly unusual for him. He only struck out 12.6% of batters faced with the Padres in 2022, a season he finished with a 3.56 ERA. His 8.5% walk rate this year is right around league average while his 65.6% ground ball rate would actually be a career high, as his previous best was a clip of 61.8% in his rookie season.
The major difference in Hill this season seems to be a .436 batting average on balls in play. That’s well beyond the .286 league average and Hill’s career number of .310. ERA estimators like FIP and SIERA have Hill at 3.44 and 3.87 respectively, suggesting it’s possible he’s been closer to his previous form than it would appear at first glance, as he had a 3.72 ERA from 2020 to 2022. His exit velocity and hard hit numbers are roughly in line with previous seasons as well.
It’s possible the club’s poor defense isn’t doing him any favors, as the Sox have a collective -51 Defensive Runs Saved this year and -20 Outs Above Average. That DRS tally is the worst in the league while the OAA number in tied for last with the Marlins.
The Sox will now have one week to trade Hill or pass him through waivers. It’s possible that he could garner interest if some clubs are willing to overlook the earned runs this year and focus more on the underlying metrics. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment while retaining his salary.
Rockies ought to claim Hill. He’d instantly be among the top 3 in the pen.
If it would make the Rockies a better baseball team, I’m sure their management hasn’t even considered it.
This comment wins the Internet today!!!
He was too good. Was going to hurt their draft lottery odds. Let the trade stove heat up. What a gift from the sox.
There isn’t anything any player in baseball can do to hurt–or help– the White Sox draft lottery odds. No matter what happens, the Sox aren’t involved in the outcome of the lottery other than they are picking 10th. (unless of course they pass Oakland in the standings and pick 11th).
I didn’t realize how unsuccessful and short their last rebuild was. And the new rules to stop teams from tanking isn’t stopping some teams at least.
They pick #10 next year, This year maybe #5⚾
This dude always reminds me of John Stewart.
“Duke Ellis” sounds like a Civil War general.
I was thinking Jazz trumpet player…
Soto’s cheap replacement for next year!
“It’s possible that he could garner interest if some clubs are willing to overlook the earned runs this year and focus more on the underlying metrics.”
It’s 2024 so lets hope they do. If not they better hire this writer to be their gm.
Man, looking at that pic, it just doesn’t seem like your arm is meant to do that…
His delivery is so funky it pains me to watch.
Here’s hoping he clears waivers, elected FA, and gets back with the padres on a minor league deal. He could def get back in the bigs this year with all the pitcher injuries.
I don’t think anybody wants to spend that prorated salary on a reclaim project.
Maybe Sox work out trade, other team pays league minimum rate and Sox get a peanut?
So I’m in my backyard in Bridgeport Chicago drinking a Zima and listening to the cicadas chirp. As i downed my six pack, I couldn’t help but think how the whitesox Sox ass. I mean they really suck. Maybe the scouts should consider playing the kids at armour square then the garbage that takes the field everyday. Well back to watching Cheryl Scott on ABC 7. Man is she hot
She awkward and getting long in the tooth
Tiny Tim back to the Royals
That’s what she said- M.Scott