Former Red Sox Pitcher Says He Isn't Retired, Might Pitch...

Rich Hill is a veteran of 21 major league seasons, most recently in 2025 when he made two starts for the Kansas City Royals. Asked in January if he planned to pitch in 2026, Hill certainly sounded retired. The pitcher, now 46, never filed his retirement papers with MLB. And in a recent interview, Hill didn't rule out pitching in 2027. ”If it does [happen], great," Hill told ESPN's Buster Olney on the Baseball Tonight podcast. "If it doesn't, I don't have to ask the question, what if?" Hill pitched for an MLB record-tying 14 teams in a career that began in 2005 with the Chicago Cubs. He signed with the Boston Red Sox on six different occasions, was teammates with Hall of Famer Greg Maddux as a rookie, and was more than twice the age of his catcher, Carter Jensen, when the two were in Triple-A last year. Hill's cameo with the Royals wasn't spectacular. He allowed five runs in nine innings across two starts, then was designated for assignment. More news: Dodgers ‘Dodge a Bullet’ After 10-Time All-Star Tumbles Into Dugout If he follows through on his comeback, Hill knows he needs to evolve as a pitcher. "Taylor Rogers up in Toronto has given me hope to come back as a submariner,” Hill told Olney. More news: Red Sox Legend Breaks Silence on Surprise Firing Rogers, 35, is a true submariner. The right-hander gets away with an 83.2 mph fastball by virtue of his unique arm angle. Speed was never Hill's strength, even during his late-30s peak with the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he went 30-16 with a 3.16 ERA and helped the Dodgers reach the World Series from 2016-19. He typically pitched from a sidearm or three-quarters angle. More news: Pirates’ Manager Has Surprising Explanation for Paul Skenes’ Struggles Hill said he plans to "build up over the offseason and get on a throwing program again, get back into the gym and continue to keep, you know, working and ... not getting back to where I was, but trying to find a new spot or a new normal of where I can help a team out of the bullpen or possibly start." In his career, Hill is 90-76 with a 4.02 ERA in 388 major league games. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.