Baltimore Orioles: Three Potential Left-Handed Starter Trade Targets

Rich Hill

The Oakland Athletics are not going anywhere, and luckily for the Orioles, left-hander Rich Hill has turned his career around this season. The 36-year-old is 8-3 with a 2.25 ERA, and has struck out 74 batters in just 64 innings of work. Currently, he’s on the disabled list with a groin strain, but he’s slated to make a rehab start on Monday and will return to action long before the trade deadline.

Last season with Boston, Hill made a change to his delivery, throwing from a slightly different spot on the mound. He made four starts with the Red Sox in September of 2016, posting a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings, and notably walking just five batters.

Hill is only signed to a one-year contract, so it’s hard to envision him costing much in terms of prospects despite how well he’s pitching. Think back to the Athletics’ Scott Kazmir or Tyler Clippard deals in 2015 – while they acquired some talented prospects, it wasn’t as though they took the entire farm system. A trade for Hill would likely net them somewhere in between what they got for those two players, and the Orioles would be able to manage that even with a weak system.

Hill has already proven he can pitch in the AL East after his brief stint with the Red Sox last year, so that shouldn’t be much of an issue. The biggest question with Hill is whether he’ll be able to sustain this level of success all season, and if other teams believe in him. If they do, there could –unbelievably – be a lot of competition for his services.

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