Rich Hill, 45, inks minor league deal with Royals to continue baseball odyssey

Rich Hill isn’t ready to hang up his cleats. 

At 45 years old, the veteran southpaw signed a minor league deal with the Royals, the team announced on Tuesday. 

Hill will reportedly join Triple-A Omaha after reporting to Kansas City’s spring training facility in Florida. 

He makes his return to professional baseball after a brief stint with the Red Sox in 2024, tossing 3 ⅔ innings across four outings with a 4.91 ERA. 

Boston Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill throws against the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 1, 2024, in Detroit. AP

Should Hill make it to the majors this season, he will be the oldest player in the league — a title he held in each of the past two seasons as well. 

Hill is hoping to extend what has been one of the most unique MLB careers imaginable. 

After being drafted in 2002 and debuting with the Cubs in 2005, Hill struggled to get a foothold in the big leagues through his first 10 MLB seasons, bouncing between six organizations. 

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Rich Hill (44) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at PNC Park. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

At 35 years old, Hill signed with the Red Sox – his second stint with the organization – and turned four strong starts into a one-year deal with the A’s, breathing new life into his career. 

From 2016 to 2021, Hill was one of the best starting pitchers in baseball when healthy, winning 48 games and posting a 3.22 ERA.  

In 386 career games, Hill has gone 90-74 with a 4.01 ERA and 1,428 strikeouts. 

If he plays for the Royals this season, they will be the 14th big league team Hill has appeared with, which would tie Edwin Jackson’s record for most teams played for.