Orioles - Acquired Hill
Baltimore Orioles - Acquired P Rich Hill from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named.
Sorry about the lack of entries lately - I’ve been trying to get caught up on projections.
This is exactly the type of move the Orioles should be making. There are very good reasons to think that Rich Hill will be a terrible major league pitcher in 2009, but the Orioles rotation is made up of Jeremy Guthrie and terrible major league pitchers, so the consequences of Hill continuing to have serious command issues are relatively minimal for a team in Baltimore’s position. If Hill doesn’t rebound, let’s say he throws 100 innings with an ERA of 7.00. Given that the alternative would be a player that will probably throw 100 innings with an ERA of 6.00, we’re only talking about the loss of a win or so. The Orioles go from a 72-win team to a 71-win team. Whoop de doo.
But what if Hill does turn it around, which is at least a possibility? The team gets Hill for 4 years and if he does bounce all the way back, that’s a ridiculous deal considering how small the risk is. Even if he only bounces back enough to be a 90 ERA+ pitcher, with an ERA around 5.00, he still is an upgrade over what the Orioles have.
From the Cubs point of view, they didn’t really have a choice other than to dump Hill. Hill’s out of minor league options and the Cubs, the clear favorite in the NL Central (and I’d probably argue the NL as well), don’t have the room in the rotation or the inclination to let Hill get his brains bashed in while walking a batter a frame.
I’m not going to hazard a projection here, for obvious reasons.
Dan Szymborski
Posted: February 02, 2009 at 07:42 PM |
19 comment(s)
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1. Starlin of the Slipstream (TRHN) Posted: February 02, 2009 at 08:26 PM (#3065879)Of course, some of why Hill wasn't allowed to pitch longer when he was effective was because nothing makes lou angrier than walks. (Seriously, nothing makes Lou angrier. Lieber was left in to give up 4 HRs in the second inning in a spot start against the Reds [a spot start necessitated by Hill], but Hill's four walks in the first inning, that was the deal-breaker.)
I think Lou's tough love didn't do Hill any favors.
So now that I'm done guilt-tripping you, Dan, can we get the TO for Jon Garland and Flash Gordon in AZ?
Plus, Hill's command problems must seem like a papercut compared the gaping gunshot wound that was Daniel Cabrera.
He just wants to sign a one-day contract so he can retire as a Dback, like Mike Lieberthal and Thurman Thomas.
It's unusual to do that with a team you've never played for in a city you have no connection to, true.
I would have been less suprised if you told me he was dead.
-- MWE
He could pitch to his son in spring training.
IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO ERA+11.1 10 4 4 1 6 1 12 151
He has digital control - when he loses it there's not even a fuzzy reminder that it was once there, and when he regains it there's no hint that he's the same guy who just walked the bases loaded...
The age difference makes it tough, but I think Hill has a shot to break into the top 3 in Career Wins After Being Run Off By Lou Piniella list:
Hampton 142*Lowe 129*
Estes 101
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