Rich Hill - once a journeyman pitcher looking for a minor-league contract - has cashed in on a well-deserved three-year, $48-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 36-year-old was introduced at a press conference on Monday after putting the final touches on the contract and got a little choked up shortly after team president Andrew Friedman presented him with his hat and jersey.
Hill was drafted for the third time in 2002 and made his major-league debut in 2005 with the Chicago Cubs, spending four years with the team. From then on Hill moved around from five different teams, struggling to find success on the mound.
It wasn't until 2015 when he signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox did his career take off. In 24 combined starts since pitching for the Oakland Athletics, Dodgers and Red Sox, Hill has gone 14-6 with a 2.00 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and an elite 2.37 FIP, and including the $6 million he earned last year, will be paid $54 million by the time his new contract ends.
When you're proud of your dad. 😍 #WeLoveLA pic.twitter.com/N0a4xWAiF5
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 5, 2016
Hill and his wife, Caitlin, also dealt with the death of their one-year old son Brooks, who died due to multiple health issues. The couples first born, Brice, was in attendance Monday at the press conference, as Hill embraced him following the introduction.
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
