Just when you thought the trade deadline couldn’t get more absurd, two playoff-hopeful franchises are reportedly circling a relic from baseball’s past like he’s the missing piece to a championship puzzle. The Cubs want stability. The Dodgers want insurance. But what both might need is a reality check. Yet here we are, watching a potential arms race unfold over a pitcher who remembers when DVDs were cutting edge.
The one thing that has affected this MLB season more than bad performances is injuries, especially to pitchers. Pitchers are falling like flies, and it looks like the team with the better bullpen will be heading to the postseason. While all this is happening, a 45-year-old pitcher, Rich Hill, is waiting for a team to sign him, and two teams are looking very likely to get his autograph.
In a recent interview with Julian McWilliams on the Baseball Isn’t Boring YouTube channel, he talked about his return and when he can be expected. He said, “I have talked to a couple. There’s probably been about 3 or 4 teams out there now that are a little bit more interested… If it were to start today, 3 weeks from now, you know, I’d be pitching in the big leagues.”
Although he is old, his arm is better than many pitchers. He said that he has thrown a 106-pitch bullpen session and a 60-pitch session, too. He also mentioned that if he is going to come in, it is going to be as a starter and nothing else. With the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs in the hunt for the same, Hill might just get his chance at baseball, one last time.
So yes, while half the league scrambles to duct-tape their rotations together, Rich Hill is out here throwing 100-pitch bullpens like it’s 2007. The man may be older than some coaches, but his left arm clearly didn’t get the memo. If the Cubs or Dodgers do sign him, it won’t just be a move—it’ll be a statement: Desperate times call for vintage solutions.
Dodgers or Cubs: Who will benefit the most with Rich Hill
In a season where elbows are snapping faster than fastballs, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are eyeing a solution that’s more vintage than velocity. Forget the farm system—this fix comes with gray stubble and a PhD in curveballs. Rich Hill, yes, THAT Rich Hill, is somehow back in the mix, and both teams are acting like he’s the final Infinity Stone to complete their rotation gauntlet.
If Rich Hill joins the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’ll be a reunion dipped in nostalgia. His postseason poise and curveball finesse could offer valuable depth. With injuries to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow shaking LA’s rotation, Hill becomes more than a sentimental signing. He’s a veteran arm who knows how to pitch when it matters most.
In Chicago, Hill fits like a vintage glove on a young hand. The Chicago Cubs could use his savvy to steady their inexperienced staff. Wrigley’s winds may test him, but his leadership outweighs the risk. Hill wouldn’t just pitch—he’d mentor, teach, and elevate the clubhouse without throwing a diva-sized shadow.
Between the two, the Cubs need Hill more than they admit. The Dodgers have depth and playoff expectations, while Chicago needs reliability and wisdom. Hill won’t fix everything, but he could anchor a shaky rebuild. For the Cubs, he’s not a luxury—he’s a necessity wrapped in 45 years of grit.
And if the Cubs blink, the Dodgers will gladly take the antique off the shelf.
Whatever be it, Rich Hill isn’t here to light up the radar gun—he’s here to outsmart it. In a league obsessed with youth, it’s the oldest guy in the room who might just save the season.
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