Dodgers: Rich Hill Called Underrated Free Agent by Richard Justice

It’s not really needed to point out how star-studded this free agent class is at the top. Guys like Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon all made huge contributions to their teams deep into October and all deserve a big pay day. But as MLB.com’s Richard Justice noted, this year’s crop of free agents isn’t just filled with stars, it’s pretty deep all around too.

Dodgers are looking at Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon. But while they can afford to go big, word is they have set valuations for each star and intend to remain disciplined.

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— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 25, 2019

In an article posted on MLB.com on Saturday, Justice named eight free agents that haven’t gotten as much media attention since the off-season began, but will (or should) still attract plenty of interest from major league clubs. Former Dodger Howie Kendrick makes the list, and so does former adversary Hunter Pence. Marcell Ozuna, Ryan Zimmerman, Eric Thames, Alex Avila, and Tyler Clippard are all mentioned along with one key piece of the Dodgers rotation the past few years…

Rich Hill.

Here’s what Justice had to say.

“There might not be a more interesting free agent in this market. At 39, he’s still effective when he’s healthy enough to take the mound, posting a 2.45 ERA in 58 2/3 innings last year,” Justice said about Hill. “But durability is the big issue after a season in which he made just 13 starts and was on the mound for 6 2/3 innings after June 14. That season could be an outlier because he made 49 starts in 2017-18, and while he may not get deep into games, there should be a role for him somewhere.”

Hill has already made his desire to stay in Los Angeles known, and many fans would like to see him come back on the right contract. He has been an important part of the Dodgers’ rotation, especially in the postseason, ever since they traded for him in 2016. But he is also going to be 40 years old by opening day.

This is a Rich Hill appreciation tweet. pic.twitter.com/8gJg2fo2rI

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 25, 2019

Whether Hill remains in a Dodger uniform or not remains to be seen, but don’t think his career is over just yet.