NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. _ When this offseason began, the Dodgers identified Rich Hill as the best pitcher of this free-agent class. On the first day of the winter meetings, the team finalized a three-year, $48-million contract that will keep him in a Dodger uniform.
The team announced the deal Monday afternoon, after spending the weekend finalizing the details. Because of Hill's injury history, the Dodgers plan to treat him as a valuable but fragile asset, and he is unlikely to approach 200 innings per season. But his upside cannot be questioned, not after he finished 2016 with a 2.12 earned-run average with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 20 starts.
Hill made six starts for the Dodgers, who acquired him from Oakland in August. He was limited by a series of blisters on his left hand. The team treated him with care, hoping he would be healthy for October. He responded with a credible postseason campaign, including six scoreless innings in a victory over the Cubs in the National League Championship Series.
Hill's acquisition increases the team's likelihood of dealing veteran pitchers like Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu. The team is still hoping to trim its payroll for the coming season.
