Texas Rangers: Could Rich Hill be coming to Arlington?

Starting pitcher Rich Hill is one of the hottest free agents currently on the market, and is being pursued by a number of teams, including the Texas Rangers.

According to ESPN’s Jim Bowden, Hill is being pursued by the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers.

Hill, 36, is coming off a career-best 12-5 season with a 2.12 ERA. He was limited to 110 1/3 innings due to an issue with a blister on his finger.  For most of his career, he’s been a reliever, but last season he reached 100 innings for the first time since 2007.

Durability seems to be a problem with Hill. He exceeds at retiring players, but when it comes to playing deep into games or staying on the mound, that’s when negativity kicks in on him.

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If Hill does sign with Texas, he may be third pitcher in the rotation. SportsDay beat writer Evan Grant believes that a No. 3 pitcher requires a minimum of 200 innings per season. Hill’s career-high is 195, which was back in 2007. His curveball is among the best in Major League Baseball.

The progress the Rangers have made in pursuing Hill is currently unknown. The progress of every ball club currently pursuing him is unknown. Though rumor has it that he either returns to the Dodgers or signs with the Yankees.

Hill’s demands is probably in the range of three years and close to $50 million, according to John Heyman. If the Rangers do sign him, it’s very likely that Colby Lewis will not be returning to the Texas Rangers. Progress in free agency has been going very slow due to the ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

Next: Will Andrew Cashner Succeed in Texas?

Another thing we can expect if Hill comes to Texas is that he and recently acquired starting pitcher Andrew Cashner will compete for the No. 3 spot. Hill will be 37 by the time the 2017 MLB season gets underway.