Rich Hill

Anonymous is thinking about taking the plunge on Rich Hill in his N.L. only league:

What are your thoughts on Rich Hill? He was recently dropped in my NL-only league. I should be able to get him for $5, based on my experience with the other owners.

I think you're right that you'd be able to get Hill for $5. However, I'm not sure he's going to be up in the majors anytime soon. Since his demotion to AAA, his BB/IP has actually gotten a little worse, at 8.53 compared to 8.24 in his time in the majors. Yes, he's striking out a ton of batters (11.01 per nine IP), but the Cubs aren't going to call him up anytime soon until he masters the zone.

I'm thinking of making the jump based on the thought that maybe the Cubs will deal Hill for Brian Roberts or C.C. Sabathia.

It's not out of the question that the Orioles or Indians might take a stab at Hill, but it doesn't seem like the Cubs would deal him right now when his value is at its lowest. Of course, it's difficult to predict what the trade market will look like in July and August once the buyers and sellers have crystallized, but there are probably going to be pitchers younger than Hill's 28 who will seem more enticing to teams looking ahead at 2009 and beyond.

If you can stash Hill on reserve, he's certainly not a bad gamble. But we might not see Hill in the majors at all this year.