Last week, the New York Mets bolstered their rotation by acquiring left-handed pitcher Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays.
The @Mets are bolstering their pitching staff.
Veteran starter Rich Hill is reportedly headed to Queens, per @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/214ClMi3BE
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2021
It was a surprising move to many, as the Rays—who are buyers at this year’s deadline—willingly traded away one of their key rotation pieces.
Regardless, the move made a lot of sense for New York, and the Mets are better today than they were before they made the deal.
Right now, we’re going to evaluate just how important the acquisition is.
Is it season-altering for New York?
It’s Going To Depend On The Version Of Hill The Mets Get
Hill’s 2021 season has been a tale of two halves.
Up until June 5, Hill was working on a 3.05 ERA over 12 starts.
Opponents were batting just .189 against him up until that point.
But since, Hill has struggled.
He has posted a 5.40 ERA over his last eight starts, and over the span, opponents are slashing .275/.370/.500 against him.
The veteran is going to need to find a way to channel the success he was having earlier in the year if he wants to be a key part of a potential Mets playoff run this season.
No Matter What, The Deal Figures To Be A Net Positive
With Jacob deGrom, David Peterson, and Joey Lucchesi all on the injured list right now, the Mets really needed to trade for a rotation arm, and they did just that.
Peterson and Lucchesi are going to be out long-term, so once deGrom returns, the rotation will look something like this: deGrom (1.08 ERA), Marcus Stroman (2.59 ERA), Taijuan Walker (3.43 ERA), Tylor Megill (2.10 ERA), and the newly-added Hill (3.95 ERA).
That’s a really solid group of starting pitchers.
Without the addition of Hill, that No. 5 spot could have emerged as a major weakness down the road.
Instead, once deGrom comes back, the Mets are going to be able to feel good about their chances no matter who gets the ball.
One Huge Plus Is Hill’s Postseason Experience
At 41 years old, Hill has been around the block in the Majors.
He has seen his fair share of playoff baseball, too, and he has always made the most of those opportunities.
Over 13 career playoff appearances, he has a 3.06 ERA.
Not half bad.
It’s hard to find players who embrace big moments, but it seems like Hill is one of those guys.
Overall, The Move Is Big, But It’s Too Soon To Call It Season-Altering
The addition of Hill is going to do a lot for New York.
As mentioned, he is going to sure up the back-end of the rotation, and he is also going to provide some invaluable postseason experience.
But the fate of the trade is going to depend on how Hill performs from here on out.
There are no guarantees that he will be effective.
Rich Hill says it's a "great honor" to get traded to a team like the Mets:
"We're in a great position to do some things this year" pic.twitter.com/bI4aAnBJ2B
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 25, 2021
He looked solid in his first start as a Met on Sunday, as he worked five innings of three-run ball in a win.
That was a great way to start.
Now, let’s see where he goes from here.
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