Report: Mets Acquire LHP Rich Hill From Rays
The Mets have added a starting pitcher that is north of age-40, but before you get overly excited, it was not Bartolo Colon aka "Big Sexy."
Instead, it was an even better option.
With the Mets in desperate need of starting pitching with just three healthy arms in their rotation at the moment, they filled one of these vacant spots on Friday by acquiring left-handed pitcher Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays.
FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray said the deal was close, and MLB Network insider Jon Heyman confirmed it was done afterwards.
As a result, the Mets sent injured pitcher Tommy Hunter (back) and a Double-A player to the Rays in exchange for Hill, per Joel Sherman of The New York Post. That prospect turned out to be last year's fourth-round draft pick in catcher Matt Dyer, as Heyman later confirmed.
Hill is 41-years-old, but he is not just a reliable innings eater, he has pitched to an impressive 6-4 record, 3.87 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in 19 starts (95.1 innings) this season.
However, he has gotten knocked around a bit as of late, with a 5.40 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in his last seven starts, allowing 34 hits in 33.1 innings.
While this recent stat line is not ideal, the Mets need a starter on Sunday against the Blue Jays, and two more for Monday's doubleheader with the Braves. And with Jacob deGrom and Carlos Carrasco's statuses still both up in the air, Hill will slide in to give the Mets some much-needed length in the No. 4 slot behind fellow starters Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker and Tylor Megill.
Although the Hill move isn't the sexiest, it provides some major relief to a team that has been ravaged by injuries in the pitching department.
But don't expect the Mets to be finished adding to their rotation before next Friday's trade deadline at 4 p.m. The Hill trade could now set them up to add another backend starter, which would allow them to shift their focus towards landing an impact bat. Or, they could still go after a top of the line starter, as insurance given the uncertainty of deGrom's health.
Things have only just begun, stay tuned!
