Rich Hill has an opt-out on June 15 in his contract with the Kansas City Royals, a source tells FanSided. Hill, 45, most recently pitched in the majors with the Boston Red Sox last season.
He signed with the Royals on a minor-league contract in mid-May, and after two starts with the ACL Royals, was promoted to Triple-A, where he’s since posted a 2.45 ERA and a 10/3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 innings.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Hill could become the oldest player in MLB
Hill would represent an intriguing, low-cost option for teams seeking veteran pitching. If he makes it to the majors, he would easily be the oldest player in MLB (Justin Verlander, 42, is the current oldest). If he pitches for the Royals’ major-league team, he would tie Edwin Jackson’s record of playing for his 14th team.
45 Year Old Rich Hill made easy work of AAA batters in his start today as he fired off 5 scoreless innings while allowing just 1 hit pic.twitter.com/NuxwIvLIjT
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 8, 2025
In 20 career seasons, Hill has thrown 1409 innings and recorded a 4.01 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate. And with the opt-out looming, it’s possible that Dick Mountain will soon be pitching in the majors again, perhaps with the Royals or another franchise.
Why Hill is an intriguing option for teams
While Hill’s numbers are not as strong as they once were (4.91 ERA last season, 5.41 ERA in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres), he represents a veteran option with extensive postseason experience. He’s thrown 53 innings (13 appearances) in the postseason and has a strong 3.06 ERA in stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
Hill also represents veteran leadership and can be a mentor to young pitchers on a roster. In 2023, when he was with the New York Mets, Hill told NJ.com: “As far as what that looks like when you come into a clubhouse, it’s not changing what you do and if you have any questions about how have you gotten to this point in your career, it’s kind of lead by example and not by telling people what to do, but by merely showing them what you’ve been doing and how to do it. The great players that I’ve been around and guys that are Hall of Famers and guys that are going to be in the Hall of Fame someday lead by example. There’s not a lot of top-step, rah-rah type mentality or attitude.”