Yankees reportedly re-sign lefty reliever Tim Hill to 1-year, $2.25 million deal

The New York Yankees began their offseason ambition to keep their bullpen together by re-signing reliever Tim Hill to a one-year, $2.25 million contract, according to reports. The deal also reportedly includes a $2.5 million club option for 2028. However, the Yankees have not yet officially announced the signing. Hill, who will turn 37 during spring training next year, compiled a 4.60 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 54 hits (12 of them home runs) allowed in 58 2/3 innings. While those numbers might not pop out as impressive, the sidearming left-hander held left-handed batters to a .213 batting average and .611 OPS. The Yankees left Hill off their wild-card and division series rosters because of his performance. However, the team believes that the left-hander can improve toward his 2025 numbers, when he compiled a 3.09 ERA and allowed a .181/.224/.220 slash average versus left-handed batters. Based on his overall metrics, the Yankees feel that Hill’s issue with giving up home runs was the outlier, according to The Athletic.In his nine MLB seasons, Hill has a 3.94 ERA while averaging 68 appearances. He has also pitched for the Kansas City Royals (who drafted him in the 32nd round in 2014), San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox during his career. Yankees relievers had the second-best ERA in MLB at 3.13 and ranked fifth with a .213 opponents’ batting average. Yet Hill, Paul Blackburn Ryan Yarbrough, John Schreiber, Michael Fulmer and closer David Bednar all became free agents after the season ended.Keeping the bullpen together — or improving on it — is “our main priority,” general manager Brian Cashman said on MLB Network Radio during lat week’s GM Meetings. The Yankees are also pursuing relievers Adrián Morejón (2.83 ERA, 11.2 strikeouts per 9 innings last season) and Jonathan Loáisiga (2.42 ERA), MLB.com reports.