Red Sox sign Rich Hill to a one year deal

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RG33

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Love the depth assuming the terms will be very digestable (under $10m).
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Another one year deal? I’m shocked. Seems like that should just about do it for the pitching staff.
 
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scottyno

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Pretty good chance that between all the depth guys they hit on someone that's better than the guys getting 100m+ contracts.

Now do the bullpen.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Pretty good chance that between all the depth guys they hit on someone that's better than the guys getting 100m+ contracts.

Now do the bullpen.
Sale-Eovaldi-Pivetta-Wacha-Hill
Houck-Whitlock
Barnes-Taylor-Brasier-Hernandez-Sawa

Maybe one spot left, for guys like Davis, Valdez, Bazardo, Winckowski, etc to fight over?

Am sure they will bring in a few a more arms as someone will get hurt, but perhaps nothing high profile. Although adding a Chafin or Tepera would be nice.
 

Ale Xander

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You can never have enough pitchers north of 30. Hope we got a hometown discount
 

scottyno

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Sale-Eovaldi-Pivetta-Wacha-Hill
Houck-Whitlock
Barnes-Taylor-Brasier-Hernandez-Sawa

Maybe one spot left, for guys like Davis, Valdez, Bazardo, Winckowski, etc to fight over?

Am sure they will bring in a few a more arms as someone will get hurt, but perhaps nothing high profile. Although adding a Chafin or Tepera would be nice.
Sawamura could easily be moved if they want to add more than one guy. 3.06 era but a 5.00 fip so you'd expect a fair amount of regression in 2022
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Rich Hill has a 1.34 career ERA as a Red Sox, which has to be among the lowest for those who have thrown 50+ innings….anyone know?
 

phrenile

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Rich Hill has a 1.34 career ERA as a Red Sox, which has to be among the lowest for those who have thrown 50+ innings….anyone know?
It's the lowest with 50+ IP.

1. Rich Hill (1.34 ERA / 60.2 IP)
2. Fritz Coumbe (1.44 ERA / 62.1 IP)
3. Garrett Whitlock (1.96 ERA / 73.1 IP)
4. Smoky Joe Wood (1.99 ERA / 1,416 IP)
5. Cy Young (2.00 ERA / 2,728.1 IP)
 

pokey_reese

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He was mediocre last year, and his ERA outperformed his expected stats, but he still acrued value simply by virtue of making all of his starts. K% is down along with velocity, so I wouldn't expect much out of this contract, but at least he reminded me of the existence of Ryan Kalish for what I would assume is the last time.
 

Apisith

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He was mediocre last year, and his ERA outperformed his expected stats, but he still acrued value simply by virtue of making all of his starts. K% is down along with velocity, so I wouldn't expect much out of this contract, but at least he reminded me of the existence
Another low-risk low-upside guy that can fill in the innings gap that we have. Pencil him in for slightly below average 120IP until Paxton is ready. I think it’s fine.

We’ve now mostly covered the innings required from our starters.
 

SoxAgent25

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Wait, what year is this again?
Wacha, Paxton and now Hill, so for some reason it seems Chaim is stuck in the 2015-2017 era. Really hoping he’s got some sort of fountain of youth hidden in the green monster, because these seem like some desperate lottery ticket signings. The Sox are being uber frugal, and it’s not like the market is going to magically depreciate.
 

scottyno

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Wacha, Paxton and now Hill, so for some reason it seems Chaim is stuck in the 2015-2017 era. Really hoping he’s got some sort of fountain of youth hidden in the green monster, because these seem like some desperate lottery ticket signings. The Sox are being uber frugal, and it’s not like the market is going to magically depreciate.
All 3 of those guys were good or better pitchers more recently than 2017, yeah they're gambles but I wouldn't exactly call any of them a "desperate lottery ticket".

And yeah the market likely will depreciate, we see it every year in any sport, the biggest overpays usually come early and there will be guys left without contracts later on who have to take less than they hoped for.
 

cantor44

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Love Rich Hill! His bullets are real good, the question is if he has any left ...

Bloom is like an expert thrift store shopper. Listen, my teenage daughter is great at thrift shopping - she can outfit herself in clothes that looks great. Though sometimes the stuff she gets doesn't last too long ...
 

SoxAgent25

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All 3 of those guys were good or better pitchers more recently than 2017, yeah they're gambles but I wouldn't exactly call any of them a "desperate lottery ticket".

And yeah the market likely will depreciate, we see it every year in any sport, the biggest overpays usually come early and there will be guys left without contracts later on who have to take less than they hoped for.
I’m talking long term…not this off-season. The market isn’t lowering. $30 mil/year is the new $20mil. At some point they are going to need to open the checkbook. Maybe they don’t value any of this year’s crop to make a splash, but at some point they shouldn’t be afraid to spend like the top 4-5 richest club that they are.
 

Kliq

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It's the lowest with 50+ IP.

1. Rich Hill (1.34 ERA / 60.2 IP)
2. Fritz Coumbe (1.44 ERA / 62.1 IP)
3. Garrett Whitlock (1.96 ERA / 73.1 IP)
4. Smoky Joe Wood (1.99 ERA / 1,416 IP)
5. Cy Young (2.00 ERA / 2,728.1 IP)
I know it's the deadball but that Young stat is incredible.
 

scottyno

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I’m talking long term…not this off-season. The market isn’t lowering. $30 mil/year is the new $20mil. At some point they are going to need to open the checkbook. Maybe they don’t value any of this year’s crop to make a splash, but at some point they shouldn’t be afraid to spend like the top 4-5 richest club that they are.
In 2020 they had the 4th highest payroll, in 2021 they had the 6th highest payroll. They're likely going to be around the same spot in 2022.

So when were they afraid the spend like a top 4-5 richest club?
 

DJnVa

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One article I read tonight said Wacha will be a swing man with the Hill signing.

We shall see.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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All 3 of those guys were good or better pitchers more recently than 2017, yeah they're gambles but I wouldn't exactly call any of them a "desperate lottery ticket".

And yeah the market likely will depreciate, we see it every year in any sport, the biggest overpays usually come early and there will be guys left without contracts later on who have to take less than they hoped for.
I always thought that given the salary structure of MLB - squeezing out non-star veterans - that teams should be able find "surplus value" in the veteran "good but not great" players. Sort of like what George Allen did with the Washington football team many moons ago.

Maybe we're about to find this out.
 

Jerry’s Curl

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Doctors gave Hill a bionic arm during his surgery. I like the deal. Nice bullpen addition to free up Houck and Whitlock if they want him to start.
 

grimshaw

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A Rich Hill/Tanner Houck piggyback would be pretty nice. Even if he becomes decrepit over night as a starter, he can still get lefties out (.187/.297/.266 last season).
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Yeah this seems like one of the best contracts of the off-season, so far. Last two off-seasons, Hill has gotten a lot less than comparable pitchers, surely because of his age.
 

sean1562

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I always thought that given the salary structure of MLB - squeezing out non-star veterans - that teams should be able find "surplus value" in the veteran "good but not great" players. Sort of like what George Allen did with the Washington football team many moons ago.

Maybe we're about to find this out.
I would say we already found this out in 2013. We have a solid base, just have to supplement it with some filler talent. Getting a full season from Chris Sale will be huge. He was a little shaky in his return last year but was still a pretty great pitcher. I am excited to see what he provides us.
 

ngruz25

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I love Rich Hill and his story, but he's going to be 42 on opening day, he's lost velocity in the last two seasons (one or two MPH, but still), his Statcast numbers show he was hit much harder in that same time, and he's extremely injury prone. He's trending in all the wrong directions.

In the last decade, there have only been 12 pitchers at or over the age of 41 who have thrown a minimum of 50 IP. Rich Hill being one of them, for last season. At or over the age of 42, that list shrinks to 5 pitchers: Bartolo Colon, Mariano Rivera, RA Dickey, Tim Wakefield, and Jamie Moyer.

Worth a flier, of course, and glad to have him on the 40 man, but I'm not expecting much production from him.
 
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John Marzano Olympic Hero

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As you all know Rich Hill has been around the block. A lot.

He's right behind Rickey Henderson in a rare club. Rickey played for both New York teams, three of the four teams that once called New York home and four out of the five teams that are based in California. No one has come close to this. Except for old friend, Dick Mountain. He's played for both New York teams, three of the four teams that once called New York home and three out of the five teams that are based in California.

I don't want Mountain's career to end in a Fenway washout, but I wouldn't be totally sad if he hooked up with the Padres and Giants before he retired.
 

JM3

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Wonder if it means anything that Hill's FIP has been worse than his ERA every year since 2013.

Steamer projects him to fall off a cliff, but cheap league average innings & potential lefty outs in the playoffs is fine.
 

Whoop-La White

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As you all know Rich Hill has been around the block. A lot.

He's right behind Rickey Henderson in a rare club. Rickey played for both New York teams, three of the four teams that once called New York home and four out of the five teams that are based in California. No one has come close to this. Except for old friend, Dick Mountain. He's played for both New York teams, three of the four teams that once called New York home and three out of the five teams that are based in California.

I don't want Mountain's career to end in a Fenway washout, but I wouldn't be totally sad if he hooked up with the Padres and Giants before he retired.
Alternately, if Dick Mountain were to get picked up by the White Sox, he'd be one of only five players to play for both current NY teams and both current Chicago teams, a list that includes an old friend at the top of any and all lists, David Aardsma.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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Alternately, if Dick Mountain were to get picked up by the White Sox, he'd be one of only five players to play for both current NY teams and both current Chicago teams, a list that includes an old friend at the top of any and all lists, David Aardsma.
That's something Rickey Henderson never did!

Edit: futzing around with the B-Ref Multiple Teams doo-dad, I found that Dave Kingman in the Rickey Henderson club too. Only missing out on the Dodgers. Jay Johnstone played for four Cali teams (no Giants) both Chicago teams and one New York team (Yanks). He almost out-Rickeyed Rickey!

And there are more than a handful of players in the four-California team:
Stan Javier (no Pads)
Scott Kashmir (no Pads)
Steve Finley (no A's)
Derrel Thomas (no A's)
Mike Aldrete (no Dodgers)
Trevor Cahil (no Dodgers but ACTIVE!)
John D'Acquisto (no Dodgers)
Elias Sosa (no Angels)
Brett Tomko (no Angels)
 
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ELMA 30100110

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As you all know Rich Hill has been around the block. A lot.

He's right behind Rickey Henderson in a rare club. Rickey played for both New York teams, three of the four teams that once called New York home and four out of the five teams that are based in California. No one has come close to this. Except for old friend, Dick Mountain. He's played for both New York teams, three of the four teams that once called New York home and three out of the five teams that are based in California.

I don't want Mountain's career to end in a Fenway washout, but I wouldn't be totally sad if he hooked up with the Padres and Giants before he retired.
Is there a back story to "Dick Mountain"? Super-Curious.
 
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