Teams can never have enough quality bullpen arms if they were to be serious about gunning for a World Series crown. Even rarer are quality southpaws who can come in and help shut the door completely. To that end, left-handed relief pitcher Tim Hill, who ended the 2024 season with the New York Yankees, is drawing plenty of interest from teams with lofty aspirations even at this late stage in free agency.
According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, in addition to the Yankees' interest in keeping the veteran southpaw in the Bronx, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly been keeping tabs as well on the 34-year-old lefty. The Arizona Diamondbacks are another team that's looking to snag Hill away from the Yankees, while two teams in the bottom of the standings, the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels, are also among those that have kicked the tires on signing Hill.
At the very least, Ragazzo specified that Hill and the Yankees have “mutual interest” on a reunion; however, the Mets still loom as Hill is also reportedly keen on the idea of joining the team based in Queens.
It's only fitting that the Mets will be the team that steps up to the plate as the Yankees' biggest contender for the services of someone who served the 2024 team well. As one would recall, the Mets were the team that gave Juan Soto a contract he simply could not refuse. And with them looking to one-up the Yankees at every turn, no one should be surprised if Hill joins them as well.
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Just how much can Tim Hill help a contending team such as the Yankees or Mets?
Getting the platoon advantage may not be as important as it was in the past, but it's clear just how much this consideration will matter when it comes to any team's interest in Tim Hill. Hill is a lefty who performs better against opposing lefties; in 2024, he allowed just a .643 OPS against southpaws, while right-handed batters hit for a .303 batting average against him. (.704 OPS).
Throwing Hill out on the mound when multiple lefties are up to bat in an inning could be helpful for a contending team; but with Hill not exactly having a long track record of success (he has a career 1.4 WAR, per Fangraphs, and he's been pitching since 2018), he shouldn't cost too much for a contending team that is still looking to fill an empty bullpen spot or two.
