MLB Rumors: Former Red Sox Pitcher Garnering Trade Interest

The Pirates are the worst team in the National League Central which could put former Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill on the move before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Hill, who pitched for Boston in three separate stints throughout his 19-year career, departed the Red Sox for a third time this past offseason, signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. Yet, the Pirates have been a dumpster fire, plummeting in the standings and due for an eighth consecutive playoff miss.

Ideally, that makes the Pirates sellers, correct? They’ve already traded away first baseman Carlos Santana to the Brewers on Thursday, leaving plenty of room to continue Pittsburgh’s yard sale — including moving on from Hill.

The 43-year-old southpaw reportedly is receiving interest from teams across the league, along with other Pirates teammates, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Pirates, who sit at 45-57 with 60 games left on their schedule, have no reason to keep Hill following the deadline. That’s even considering Hill’s salary ($8 million) as an impending free agent.

Certainly not a contender for the hottest name in the market for pitchers, Hill could still be a serviceable arm, especially for teams in a position to make a playoff run. He won’t provide frontline-caliber reliability, but that doesn’t mean Hill can’t be effective.

Hill has gone 7-10 this season with a 4.82 ERA in 21 starts made, striking out 97 hitters through 114 innings pitched for the Pirates. That puts Hill at third for the innings-tossed lead in Pittsburgh, now 11 frames shy of surpassing his mark in 2022 with the Red Sox (124 innings).