Former Dodgers Fan Favorite Traded to Rival Padres
The trade deadline is today at 3 PM, and while it's been a slow start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres made a move to acquire a former Dodger fan favorite on Tuesday.
San Diego acquired former Dodger starting pitcher Rich Hill from the Pittsburgh Pirates, per ESPN's Jeff Passan, in a move to bolster their rotation ahead of what now looks to be a key stretch run for the Padres. Additionally, they also acquired first baseman Ji-Man Choi in the swap.
The now 43-year-old Hill spent four seasons in LA from 2016 to 2019, where he became a somewhat surprising capable addition to the Dodgers rotation.
Velocity wasn't the veteran's strength, rather his hallmark was his looping lefty curveball that stifled all comers in his time in Los Angeles.
He was dependable behind Clayton Kershaw in the rotation, and always provided a show when he was on the mound.
His most memorable individual performance came when he fell just one out shy of a perfect game against the Pirates in 2019.
Now the former fan favorite will be pitching for a rival every fifth day, and he'll try to improve on what's been a shaky campaign thus far, with a 4.76 ERA in 22 starts with Pittsburgh in 2023.
The move may also provide a clue to what the Padres will do in the hours leading up to today's 3 PM trade deadline, as it's been a question whether the team would buy or sell with the Padres being five games out of a playoff spot as of Tuesday morning.
Now the Padres made their first notable move -- and it's a name Dodger fans are quite familiar with.
