Dodgers Re-Sign Rich Hill to 3-Year Contract
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made their first finalized free agent contract with Rich Hill, according to the LA Times.
Now the Dodgers have their No. 2 starter to help Clayton Kershaw in the starting rotation. The Dodgers and Hill were going back and forth within these past couple of days. The main issue was that the club had 39 spots filled out of their 40-man roster.
According to Andy McCullough of the LA Times, Hill’s will have 3-years $48 million under his belt.
The deal for Rich Hill is three years and $48 million.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) December 5, 2016
Hill, 36, was the Dodgers comeback player of the season with a 12-5 record and posting a 2.12 ERA between the Oakland Athletics and Dodgers. During Game 3 of the NLCS, Hill had a phenomenal performance with six innings pitched and allowing two hits and striking out six batters.
Rich Hill will need to step up and be able to go down into games and pitch quality innings for the Dodgers in his three seasons.
Welcome back Rich Hill!!
Dodgers Press Release below:
DODGERS SIGN RICH HILL
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the signing of free agent left-handed pitcher Rich Hill to a three-year contract.
Hill and Dodger President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman will be available to the media at 2:00 p.m. ET in the Woodrow Wilson Ballroom at Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings at the Gaylord National Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland.
Hill, 36, was originally acquired by the Dodgers in a five-player trade with the Athletics on Aug. 1 and went 3-2 with a 1.83 ERA in six starts with Los Angeles. In three postseason starts for the Dodgers, he posted a 1-1 record with a 3.46 ERA (5 ER/13.0 IP), including firing 6.0 scoreless innings to pick up the win in NLCS Game 3 vs. the Cubs.
Overall, Hill went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA in 20 starts with Los Angeles and Oakland last year, ranking among the Majors’ best (min. 100.0 IP) in ERA (2nd, behind only Clayton Kershaw, 1.69), opponents’ batting average (.195, 3rd) and WHIP (1.00, 5th) despite being limited by a blister and groin injury.
Hill has a 38-28 career record with a 4.10 ERA in 221 games (94 starts) in 12 MLB seasons with the Cubs (2005-08), Orioles (2009), Red Sox (2010-12, ‘15), Indians (2012), Angels (2014), Yankees (2014), Athletics (2016) and Dodgers (2016) after being selected in the fourth round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Michigan.
The Dodgers have 40 players on their 40-man roster.
Cant really complain with deal. Could have been an overpay. Hopefully 2 good seasons and I’d call it a win. I’d also just be happy with 20+ starts in 2 out of 3 years