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Yankees Rumors: Rich Hill A Free Agent Target

By Kenneth Teape

Oct 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill (44) reacts after a strike out during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill (44) reacts after a strike out during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Yankees Rumors: Is free agent Rich Hill a target for the Yankees this offseason?

New York Yankees rumors are going to start heating up. With the winter months coming the MLB Hot Stove will begin heating up. While free agency is still a little while away, rumors will begin popping up about where players may end up. A recent one involves the Yankees and free agent starting pitcher Rich Hill.

In a weak free agent class, Hill is one of the better players available overall, and a top pitching option. MLB Trade Rumors rated Hill as the 14th best free agent this winter, so there will undoubtedly be a lot of suitors lining up for his services. One of those suitors should be the Yankees.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman at least said as much. Cashman let it be known when talking to reporters that he planned on reaching out to the representatives for Hill. Brandon Kuty shared the news via his Twitter account.

As Kuty also notes, Cashman stressed that there will be other free agents that the team talks to. There is no harm in talking to players and representatives of players as the Yankees could use help in their rotation. Outside of Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees do not have much to rely on.

C.C. Sabathia had a solid bounce back 2016, but will he be able to repeat that performance? Michael Pineda showed maddening inconsistency, while Luis Severino struggled mightily in the starting rotation. Hill would bring some stability to the rotation.

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Just 18 months ago Hill was pitching with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League. The Boston Red Sox gave him a shot near the end of 2015 and he made the most of it. He signed a lucrative one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics last offseason and will look to get a multi-year deal this time around.

The Yankees have been rumored as a landing spot for Hill in the past and this could be the time they actually make good on those talks. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Hill should land a three-year deal worth $50 million.

That is a fair deal as long as Hill can avoid the disabled list. He made only 20 starts in 2016 between the Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers as he dealt with a blister problem. He had a strong season when on the mound with a 2.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings pitched.

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If the Yankees land Hill it will actually be his second go-round with the organization. Hill appeared in 14 games with the Yankees in 2014, throwing 5 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and a matching ERA and WHIP of 1.69.

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