Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox, Veteran Pitcher Have 'Mutual Interest' In Reunion Next Season

The Red Sox could bring back a veteran to bolster their pitching staff

Scott Neville

Red Sox, Veteran Pitcher Have 'Mutual Interest' In Reunion Next Season
Red Sox, Veteran Pitcher Have 'Mutual Interest' In Reunion Next Season /
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The Boston Red Sox are interested in bringing back an aging veteran who tallied the third-most innings pitched on the team last season according to the player himself. 

"We’ve talked and had lunch with a few of the guys in the front office, and understand that there’s a mutual interest there," Rich Hill told Rob Bradford on WEEI's "Bradfo Sho" earlier this week. "Being able to stay home would be great."

The Massachusetts native is entering his age-43 season but coming off of a productive year. Hill went 8-7 with a 4.27 ERA, 109-to-37 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .258 batting average against in 124 1/3 innings across 26 starts.

The southpaw has been open about his desire to start next season on the couch, and sign with a contender around the Major League Baseball trade deadline to ensure one more playoff run and make it easier to balance his home life and career.

Hill also said that the mid-season signing was not a definitive plan and that he would not rule out playing a full 162-game slate. Staying in his home state would make the idea of committing to a full season a much easier pill to swallow.

Should the Red Sox move forward with this plan, he cannot be seen as anything more than a depth piece. There needs to be a complete retooling of the pitching staff, starting with the front of the rotation. Still, there could be a spot on the 40-man for a serviceable southpaw who doubles as a mentor to the younger members of the staff. 

Hill helped budding ace Brayan Bello develop a curveball, and could continue to aid the youth movement as more prospects reach the big leagues.

More MLB: Red Sox's Lone Gold Glove Finalist Among Most Unlikely Candidates Entering 2022

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Scott Neville
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

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