The New York Yankees could see another player leave the Bronx for the Queens.
The Yankees already saw Juan Soto and Clay Holmes leave in free agency for the New York Mets and now veteran reliever Tim Hill is linked to the Mets, according to insider Tim Healey.
“Mets relief bit: They’ve been interested lately in lefthander Tim Hill, per source. Hill had a 2.05 ERA in 35 appearances after joining the Yankees last year (plus a 1.08 ERA in 10 postseason games). He would be a good fit for the Mets, who could use relievers/a lefty,” Healey wrote on X.
Hill was an important part of the Yankees’ bullpen in 2024. The left-hander pitched in 35 games with the Yankees after he was released by the Chicago White Sox.
Hill has been in the MLB since 2018 and has appeared in 382 games. He’s gone 20-14 with a 3.99 ERA. In the playoff run for the Yankees, the left-hander became a set-up man late in innings as he had a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings.
The 34-year-old reliever signed for $740,000 in 2024.
Analyst Urges Yankees to Bring Back Hill
Hill was an important reliever for the Yankees and MLB analyst Adam Weinrib believes New York needs to bring him back.
With the Mets having an interest in Hill, Weinrib says Brian Cashman needs to avoid their rival taking another player from them.
“To be fair, Hill doesn’t miss bats. That’s not how he operates,” Weinrib wrote. “He’s ground ball-centric, soft contact or bust. Given Stroman’s struggles in front of the Yankees’ sloppy infield, that almost makes his 2.05 ERA in 35 games in the Bronx (3.62 FIP) even more impressive. Sure, he struggled in Chicago beforehand and needed salvaging (5.87 ERA). But, his predictive FIP was actually better with the White Sox (3.47). It didn’t take much to unlock him, and the Yankees reaped the benefits of having a funky weirdo on board.
“Rest assured, though, we’re not begging the Yankees to “blank check” Hill and keep him by any means necessary. This isn’t 2020 DJ LeMahieu,” Weinrib added. “We simply know that the necessary means will not be financially straining. The Yankees can finish this today without getting even a tiny bit uncomfortable. And, if the Mets swoop in, this will be an itchier thievery than Clay Holmes, and a far sillier departure than even Soto, who chased Dream Cash (and ignored $760 million of Yankee money). This will take a maximum of 1.05% of Soto’s salary. Just do it already.”
Hill was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 32nd round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
New York Focused on Adding a Reliever
The Yankees are looking to add a reliever before spring training begins.
The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty revealed the Yankees’ biggest priority is adding a left-handed reliever.
“As of Tuesday, the team’s biggest priority seemed to be adding a left-handed reliever. With names such as Tim Hill, Brooks Raley and Andrew Chafin each being discussed, according to a league source. So, the Yankees’ current biggest problem may be enviable,” Kuty wrote.
New York did add a potential bullpen arm on January 15. The Yankees acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Michael Arias from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. Arias went 6-2 with a 4.77 ERA between AA and AAA in 2024. He appeared in 49 games, all out of the bullpen as well as recording 5 saves.
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