The ageless wonder that is Rich Hill will move forward with his Major League Baseball career in the 2023 season.
Hill and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed on one-year, $8 million contract Tuesday, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Hill, who will turn 43 years old less than three weeks before Opening Day, is now in line to play the 19th campaign of his very respectable big-league tenure.
The veteran southpaw proved he has something left in the tank in the 2022 season with the Red Sox. Hill logged 124 1/3 total innings for Boston — third-most on the club behind Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha — and recorded a 8-7 record with a 4.27 ERA. Those efforts earned Hill a $3 million raise for the upcoming season, which will represent his highest base salary since the 2019 campaign.
It figures to be a long season in Pittsburgh — the Pirates currently have the third-longest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the 2023 World Series — but Hill will have the opportunity to be a mentor for a team littered with young players. Hill also should have the perk of being able to pitch every fifth day for the Pirates, who don’t boast a very good or deep pitching staff.
Red Sox fans won’t have to wait long to reunite with Hill either. The Mass. native is set to be in Boston April 2-5 when the Pirates visit Fenway Park for a three-game series.
