MLB Rumors: The Minnesota Twins have signed Rich Hill and Homer Bailey, it was announced today. Each of the free agent pitchers received a one year deal.
Hill, who made headlines a week ago for more ignominious reasons, spent the last three-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was generally good when he was on the mound, but where he had trouble staying on the mound, putting up a total of 361.1 IP from August 1, 2016, when he was acquired by Los Angeles from the Oakland A’s, along with Josh Reddick, through the end of the 2019 season. The lefty, who will turn 40 in spring training, is expected to miss the first half of the 2019 season due to primary revision surgery to repair the damaged UCL in his left elbow.
The Twins already signed Michael Pineda, who will miss the first part of 2020 due to a suspension for violating the league’s PED rules, so adding another guy who will be out at the start of the year is surprising.
Bailey, 33, was the 7th overall pick of the Cincinnati Reds out of La Grange High School in 2004. The Texas native was solid in 2012-13, got a lucrative extension, and then couldn’t stay healthy, putting up a 6.25 ERA in 231.2 IP for the Reds from 2015-18. Bailey was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers as salary ballast in the deal last offseason that sent Alex Wood, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincy, was released, signed with Kansas City, pitched fairly well, and then was traded to Oakland, where he continued to pitch well. He ended the year with a 4.57 ERA and a 4.11 FIP in 163.1 IP over 31 starts, and will presumably give the Twins some cheap innings for their rotation.