Former Cubs LHP Rich Hill signs minor league deal with Red Sox

Sep 7, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher

(53) delivers in the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Boston Red Sox agreed to terms on a minor league deal with former Chicago Cubs left-hander Rich Hill on Friday afternoon.

The deal is reportedly worth $480K, should Hill make the big league club, and also contains roughly $500K in incentives. The deal includes two opt-out clauses, falling on May 15 on June 30. If the former fourth-round pick is not on the Red Sox 25-man roster on either of those dates, he may elect free agency.

Last year, Hill appeared in a career-high 63 games with the Cleveland Indians, pitching to the tune of a 6.28 ERA and an RAA of -13, the southpaw’s worst since his final season with the Cubs in 2008, when he posted a -20 RAA, the worst mark of his big league career.

The Indians used Hill exclusively as a relief pitcher in 2013, which has been his main role during his time in Major League Baseball. Of the 181 games he has appeared in during his career, just 70 of those have been starts. Of those 70 starts, 57 came during his first four professional seasons – all of which were spent with the Cubs.

With Chicago, Hill never pitched to what many once thought he was able to, going 18-17 with a 4.37 ERA in 64 games. In 2007, he went 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA, marking his best professional career. The next season, however, Hill struggled, and was not retained by the team at the conclusion of the 2008 campaign.

Hill has played for Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore and Boston in his career. In his previous stint with the Red Sox, he posted numbers far better than his career averages, going 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 40 games.