Reports: Mets Close To Acquiring Veteran Starting Pitcher
The New York Mets have been atop the NL East for most of 2021, despite a crazy rash of injuries. After adding Jacob deGrom to the injured list, the team was in serious need of another starting pitcher, and it appears that they found one in veteran Rich Hill.
The 41-year old has been very effective through 19 starts with the Tampa Bay Rays this year. He’s 6-4, with a 3.87 ERA, striking out 91 batters with 36 walks on the season. He was the AL Pitcher of the Month in May of this season.
Hill is set to join his 11th Major League franchise. He broke into the league with the Chicago Cubs in 2005, and had notable tenures with the Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers, among many other teams.
FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first with the Hill news. The Mets are expected to be buyers as we approach the trade deadline, though they take a starter from another team in the playoff race, the Rays, who are just one game back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.
Source: Mets close to acquiring Rich Hill.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 23, 2021
The Rays were also involved in another big trade this week, acquiring ageless slugger Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins. The Rich Hill trade may be something of a salary dump for the notoriously frugal Rays.
Hill is on a one-year, $2.5 million deal.
Per Joel Sherman, the Mets are sending reliever Tommy Hunter and Single-A catcher Matt Dyer back to Tampa in the deal.
So it is Tommy Hunter and Matt Dyer to the Rays for Rich Hill. #mets
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 23, 2021
Hunter has four appearances for the Mets this year. In eight innings, he has not allowed a run, giving up four hits and three walks with six strikeouts.
Dyer is hitting just .194 on the season, but has shown some pop with seven home runs and a .781 OPS.
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