Royals Sign Rich Hill as Insurance for a Thriving Rotation

On Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals signed Rich Hill to a minor league deal. The 45-year-old left-hander pitched in every season from 2005 to 2024. He is looking to add a 21st campaign to the back of his baseball card.

If Hill can successfully make his way to the majors with Kansas City, the Royals will become the 14th team of his big league tenure. He would tie Edwin Jackson for the MLB record for most teams played for in a career.

Hill reportedly drew “serious interest” from multiple teams in the weeks before he signed (according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo), and I have to wonder if one reason he picked the Royals was so he could have a chance to tie Jackson’s record.

What’s more, Hill also has a chance to become just the 18th pitcher in major league history and the 11th pitcher in AL/NL history to start a game in his age-45 (or older) season. He would be the first to ever do it in a Royals uniform. Gaylord Perry, who made 14 starts for Kansas City in his age-44 season, is the only pitcher in his 40s to ever start a game for the Royals.

There is no question it would be fun to see Hill back on the bump in 2025. Yet, there’s a reason so few players make it to their age-45 season. It’s pretty darn amazing that Hill has pitched 471.2 innings since his 40th birthday, but eventually, the effects of time come for everyone.

Hill did not look sharp in four appearances for the Red Sox last season. He walked three and hit one in 3.2 innings of work. Although he was pitching in relief, his four-seam fastball velocity was down by two miles per hour compared to the year before.

However, part of the problem might have been that he didn’t have a chance to ramp up. He didn’t sign until mid-August last year, and he was pitching in the majors less than two weeks later. Perhaps some more time at Triple-A Omaha this year can help him get his arm back into big league shape.

To that point, the Royals did not sign Hill because they’re desperate for arms. As things stand, they have no reason to rush him to the majors. In fact, they’re probably hoping they never need to call on him at all.

Much like last year, this team’s starting pitching has been a surprising strength. Their starters’ 2.93 ERA is the best in the American League. So is their rotation’s 5.2 FanGraphs WAR.

Kansas City Royals Starters in 2025

Funnily enough, Kansas City’s only starter with an ERA above the mid-3.00s is ace Cole Ragans (4.20), and his phenomenal underlying stats leave no doubt that his ERA will come down soon. If anything, he has looked better than ever this year, with a 38% strikeout rate, a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a 2.30 xERA.

Behind Ragans, the Royals have a trio of steady, reliable veterans in Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen. Lugo has not looked nearly as dominant as he did in his Cy Young runner-up 2024 season, but his results have been just as good. He has a 3.02 ERA through nine starts.

Like Lugo, Wacha and Lorenzen are also outperforming their underlying metrics. Regardless, what matters is that they’re giving the Royals innings and giving the team a chance to win every time they take the mound.

Then there’s Kris Bubic. He has been nothing short of electric, with a 1.66 ERA through nine starts.

It was clear Bubic had made a full recovery from Tommy John surgery when he returned last summer and shoved out of the bullpen. Even so, it was fair to wonder how well he’d adjust as he moved back into the rotation. As it turns out, the answer is very, very well.

Even more so than Lugo’s, Wacha’s, and Lorenzen’s, Bubic’s low ERA is surely unsustainable. But his ERA could double, and he’d still be one of the best starting pitchers in the American League. The kid is good.

Other than one spot start from Noah Cameron – in which the rookie took a no-hitter into the seventh – the Royals have needed just those five starting pitchers to get through the first quarter of the season. They’ll hope that continues to be the case.

If not, however, the Royals have options. Cameron and fellow Triple-A arm Luinder Avila are both on the 40-man roster and pitching well in the minors. Daniel Lynch IV is currently in the big league bullpen, but he competed for a spot in the rotation this spring.

Still, Kansas City’s depth has taken a hit since the start of the year. Alec Marsh sat out spring training with a shoulder injury. He suffered a setback in April and has yet to pitch in a minor league game. Earlier this week, Kyle Wright also suffered a setback. He has not pitched in the majors since he underwent shoulder surgery after the 2023 campaign.

It might not be a coincidence that the Royals signed Hill days after Wright was pulled from a rehab outing.

Eventually, the Royals will need to call upon their rotation depth. It’s all but inevitable. If Hill is ready when the time comes, he could certainly be the guy. However, like I said, the Royals have other options – several of whom are already ramped up and on the 40-man roster.

On the one hand, that’s a good thing for Hill. He won’t just be thrown into the deep end. The Royals can afford to give him all the time he needs in the minors. If and when he makes his 2025 debut for Kansas City, he’ll be ready.

On the other hand, this means he’s really going to have to earn his big league promotion. There’s more than a small chance that Hill simply no longer has what it takes to pitch in the major leagues. If that’s true, the Royals aren’t going to be the team that runs him out there anyway.

So, if all you want to see is Rich Hill throw an MLB pitch at age 45 while wearing a record-tying 14th different uniform, you might not be thrilled with this signing. On the flip side, if there’s any chance that Hill could truly thrive in 2025 and contribute to another playoff run, he might have picked the perfect place to do it.

Stats in article updated prior to games on Wednesday, May 14.