It doesn’t appear Rich Hill will pitch in 2026.
But the aging southpaw stopped short of calling it a retirement.
“I don’t have any plans on playing next year,” Hill said during an appearance on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” show earlier this week.
Hill, who turns 46 years old in March and was the oldest pitcher in baseball last season, said he was willing to stay in baseball, although that might not mean he’ll take the mound this season.
“I’m looking for open possibilities to stay in the game of baseball and be a contributory factor … I enjoy the work aspect of whatever it might be that’s next,” Hill said. “I think that’s one thing that might be why athletes get hired in other positions, outside of sports, is that they’re highly driven people that want to succeed. That’s something that I’m looking forward to.”
Last season, Hill appeared in two games for the Royals, allowing five earned runs over nine innings.
When he debuted for the club, Kansas City became the 14th different franchise Hill played for, tying Edwin Jackson for the most a player has joined in a career.
In the 21 years since he broke into the big leagues with the Cubs in 2005, Hill has been on a roller-coaster ride, but he managed to remain a major leaguer into his mid-40s.
A fourth-round pick by Chicago back in 2002, Hill struggled mightily through the first decade in the majors.
In the second half of his career, Hill turned things around, posting several particularly strong seasons in the 2010s, including a terrific 2016 campaign, when he held a 2.12 ERA across 110 1/3 innings with the Athletics and Dodgers.
From 2017-19, Hill thrived in LA, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in each of those three seasons.
