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Los Angeles Dodgers Biggest Offseason Mistakes This Winter

By Tim Boyle

Oct 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) celebrate with teammates after defeating the Washington Nationals 6-5 in game four of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) celebrate with teammates after defeating the Washington Nationals 6-5 in game four of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Dodgers Offseason re-signing Rich Hill
Los Angeles Dodgers Offseason re-signing Rich Hill /

Re-Signing Rich Hill

Rich Hill was phenomenal with the Dodgers last year. In his six starts, Hill posted a 1.83 ERA. Overall, with his 14 starts for the Oakland Athletics included, Hill had a 2.12 ERA along with a 12-5 record. When healthy, Hill was practically unhittable The problem is that health was a major hindrance and this won’t change as he enters his age 37 season.

Hill’s story remains one of the most remarkable ones in recent MLB history. It began when the Boston Red Sox called him up in September 2015. During his brief tenure with them, he shined. This landed him a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Athletics the following offseason. His stellar performance there, and with the Dodgers in 2016, earned him an even heftier contract when the Dodgers re-signed him last December.

The deal Hill signed with the Dodgers this offseason will pay him over $45 million over the next three seasons. The money isn’t too outrageous for a pitcher of Hill’s abilities. However, there’s a very good chance Hill continues to miss multiple starts due to blisters and other ailments.

Last year, Hill was absent for all of June and then again from mid-July until late August. He’s also someone the Dodgers cannot expect a complete game from as he only went beyond six innings in three of his starts last year. Late in the season, this was due to the Dodgers remaining cautious.

Hill is certainly worth the price the Dodgers are paying. However, this could be a problem as only one of their starts last year reached 30 starts. For them to employ Hill, a guy who is bound to hit the disabled list at least once in 2017, they must have stronger reinforcements. Unfortunately, the Dodgers do not have this luxury which makes Hill a not-so-great fit.

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