This much we know: The Red Sox are still interested in adding starting pitching and Rich Hill is one of the hurlers who they continue to target.
But, according to a major league source, the Sox are far from alone in their pursuit of the 41-year-old lefty. Hill's market appears to be heating up in the final days of November, with multiple teams - from both the American and National Leagues - showing strong interest.
Hill, a Canton native, hasn't been shy about expressing his interest in a potential return to Boston, where he revitalized his career with four standout starts at the tail-end of the 2015 season.
The southpaw does represent an intriguing package for teams looking for a veteran starter on a short-term deal. He finished 2021 pitching 158 2/3 innings over 31 starts for the Rays and Mets, ending up with a combined ERA of 3.86 ERA and .718 OPS against.
His curveball and fastball spin rates came out in the 81st and 71st percentile in all of baseball during 2021, with his hard-hit rate coming in in the 79th percentile.
The Red Sox have already added one potential piece to their starting rotation, inking a former Tampa Bay teammate of Hill, Michael Wacha, on a one-year, $7 million deal.