Dodgers: Which second tier starters make sense for the Dodgers?

Rich Hill

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Of the three starting pitchers in this article, Rich Hill would likely come the cheapest and offer the most upside.  After all, the only question with Hill is his health, he is still a very effective pitcher when healthy,  He made 13 starts for the Dodgers this season and had one of the best ERA’s on the team at 2.45.

Another fun fact for Rich Hill is that this past season he had the second-best strikeout rate of any free agent pitcher. Hill struck out 29.8% of the batters he faced and averaged 11.05 K/9IP.  Gerrit Cole was the top strikeout pitcher at 39.9% strikeout rate and 13.8 K/9IP.  When D. Mountain has his curveball working, he is still an elite pitcher.

In the postseason, Rich Hill has been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent starting pitchers.  He has a career playoff ERA of 3.06 and posted an ERA of 2.55 or less in each of the last two World Series runs.  His start this season was a shortened one as he pitched through his knee injury and allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings pitched.

Given his age and willingness to return to the Dodgers, Rich Hill would also be willing to pitch in any role he is asked of.  Hill could help limit the innings of Dustin May and Julio Urias and also be fresher down the stretch by pitching out of the bullpen.  If the Dodgers land a big bat, bringing a cheap low-risk high-reward starter like Hill back could pay big dividends next season.