Oakland Athletics: Rich Hill Injury Impacts Trade Deadline
By Nick Fustor
Just as Oakland Athletics lefty Rich Hill’s name gained traction on the trade market, he suffered a setback in his recovery.
Update (6/9, 1:00 PM): The A’s placed Rich Hill on the disabled list, retroactive to May 30.
Oakland Athletics starter Rich Hill suffered a setback in his recovery from a groin strain and may require a stint on the disabled list, per multiple reporters via MLB Trade Rumors. During a bullpen session, Hill said he felt a pull on the 33rd pitch of the session and he’ll now head back to Oakland to undergo an MRI.
Hill hasn’t pitched since May 29, which MLBTR notes is when the A’s could backdate his DL stint to, but the severity of the strain is still unknown.
Hill broke out down the stretch last season as one of the most effective starters in the game with the Boston Red Sox and translated that into a one-year deal with the A’s in the offseason. And since then, he’s managed to maintain his dominance in Oakland.
This season, Hill has a 2.25 ERA with a 2.67 FIP and and an eye-popping 10.67 K/9. Hill’s dominance has turned him into one of the more attractive names on the trade market as the A’s struggle – but an injury could derail any possibility of that.
With the ability to pitch effectively to lefties and righties, Hill has proven himself at least for the first half of this season. However, he has struggled in some aspects of his game. His 3.38 BB/9 is higher than normal for a top of the rotation starter, and his .293 BABIP could cause issues going forward. But Hill has managed to counter every negative in his game this season, evidenced by his 0.28 HR/9 rate.
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Hill’s effectiveness would likely draw a lot of interest from contending teams around the league come July.
Teams like the Boston Red Sox (who are wishing they just offered Hill a few million more in the offseason), Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs and virtually every team atop their respective divisions could use Hill’s services.
At 25-34, the A’s could likely draw at least one noteworthy prospect in a deal despite Hill’s age and strange track record from the past few seasons. But considering the San Diego Padres didn’t get much in exchange for the reliable James Shields, the A’s may need to temper their expectations in a Hill deal, especially post-injury.
Their haul will assuredly be less splashy than what the Philadelphia Phillies received in the Cole Hamels trade last July, where they snatched a few top 100 prospects from the Texas Rangers. But rather, it may mirror what the Cincinnati Reds received in exchange for Mike Leake. The Reds received Adam Duvall in the deal, and he’s quickly become one of the team’s best all-around players.
The A’s can likely expect a deal just shy of what the Reds earned, but if he returns from the injury soon enough and dominates, there may be more in store.
Whether or not Hill can keep up his hot start is worthy of questioning, but the A’s outlook for the rest of the season will look very different once his status is determined.