Ex-Red Sox Hurler Nearing End Of Career Vows To Play At Least One More Season

An old friend refuses to hang up the cleats

Scott Neville | Oct 11, 2023

Ex-Red Sox Hurler Nearing End Of Career Vows To Play At Least One More Season /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox will have to mull over a slew of pitchers this offseason in an effort to bolster an ailing rotation.

Some of those players will have spent time in the organization, including one of the latest names to jump into the free-agent pool.

Former Red Sox left-hander Rich Hill was asked about whether he will return in 2024.

"Yeah, in what capacity I'm not 100% sure," Hill told WEEI's Rob Bradford on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast.

He clarified he would be coming back to pitch -- not coach -- and slipped in an interesting comment.

"The biggest thing is just trying to figure out what point in the season (to return)."

Hill mulled over the idea of waiting until the second half to sign prior to the 2023 season, as he wants to spend more time with his family and does not want to be a part of the 162-game grind anymore.

The 43-year-old was a fine pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season but imploded after being sent to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline.

Hill posted a 4.76 ERA (93 ERA+) with a 104-to-47 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .272 batting average against and 1.479 WHIP in 119 innings across 22 starts. Unfortunately, he recorded an 8.23 ERA with 25 earned runs in 27 1/3 innings to close out his year with the Friars.

Hill will not be a highly-coveted asset but could join a team mid-season and work his way into a depth role. He'll want to sign with a postseason contender and likely have to target an injury-laden club.

More MLB: Red Sox Have Strong Odds To Land Best Pitcher In Free Agency According To Oddsmakers

Published Oct 11, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu