Red Sox Fan-Favorite Officially Released; Will He Get Another Opportunity?

Will the Boston fan-favorite find a new home or hang his cleats up?

Aug 29, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Rich Hill (44) reacts after striking out the last batter to end the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox recently made a move to add some pitching depth.

Boston's bullpen has struggled since the All-Star break so the Red Sox looked for a way to add some depth. The Red Sox looked all around and ended up signing fan-favorite veteran Rich Hill.

Hill now is 44 years old and was looking for a new opportunity at the big league level. He spent much of the first half of the season coaching Little League and then held an open showcase to possibly interested teams. Boston was one of the teams that attended the showcase and ultimately ended up signing him.

The partnership didn't last long, though. Hill made just four appearances and recently was designated for assignment to make room on the roster. Hill went unclaimed and officially was released by the Red Sox on Monday, according to the team.

"The RedSox today released (left-handed pitcher) Rich Hill," the team said.

Hill already had spent three stints with Boston before recently re-signing with the team. He is from the Boston area so it isn't surprising that he wanted to return to his hometown team. Although things didn't work out this time around, it wouldn't be shocking to see him land with another club down the stretch.

The veteran lefty allowed two earned runs across 3 2/3 innings pitched and at the very least could be a veteran presence in a contender's clubhouse. If a team doesn't end up signing Hill and he hangs his cleats up, it certainly was a successful career.

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