Ex-Pirates Hurler Reportedly ‘Close’ To Signing To Deal With Red Sox

One former member of the Pittsburgh Pirates sounds like he will find a new home in the very near future.

Former Pirates pitcher Rich Hill is 44 years old but is looking to continue his big league career. He recently held a showcase for interested teams and reportedly is “close” to signing with the Boston Red Sox, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

“Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Red Sox and Rich Hill are close to agreeing on a contract,” Cotillo said. “A baseball source confirmed that the sides were moving toward an agreement Thursday night with the expectation that a deal to bring the 44-year-old back to his hometown organization will soon be finalized. WEEI’s Rob Bradford first reported that the Red Sox and Hill are finalizing a minor league contract.”

This move isn’t the most shocking one in the world. He already has had three different stints with the Red Sox throughout his 19-year big league career and is from the Boston area. It sounds like he will kick off a fourth stint with the club in the near future.

Hill spent some time with Pittsburgh in 2023 and made 22 starts and was solid with a 4.76 ERA and 104-to-47 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 119 innings pitched.

Pittsburgh could use some more depth right now and a reunion with Hill could’ve made some sense. While this is the case, it sounds like all but a certainty that he officially will sign a deal with Boston this weekend.

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