In the wake of another frustrating postseason exit, the Los Angeles Dodgers will soon set their sights on what is expected to be a busy offseason.
The club has plenty of decisions to make in regards to their roster, including which players they hope to keep in the fold for the foreseeable future. Kenley Jansen could potentially hit the open market if he opts out of the final two years of his contract, while four others are expected to become free agents at the end of the season as well.
Among the group include a pair of left-handed pitchers in Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Both have been vital to the Dodgers’ success in recent seasons and figure to draw varying degrees of interest this winter.
After posting the lowest ERA in all of baseball this season, Ryu is in line to turn that performance into a lucrative contract. Hill, despite an injury-plagued 2019 campaign, will also be attractive to clubs looking for short-term stopgaps in their starting rotation.
Hill has spent the past three and a half seasons with the Dodgers and hopes his stint with the organization is extended by another year. “I would love to be,” Hill said on the possibility of returning to the organization.
“I would love to get the opportunity to come back here and wear the Dodger uniform again. It was a great honor. Hopefully something will play out and I can come back into this locker room and be part of this club.”
Hill made only 13 starts for the Dodgers this season after battling through multiple injuries over the course of the year. He compiled a 4-1 record with a 2.45 ERA, 4.10 FIP and 1.13 WHIP in 58.2 innings.
The 39-year-old made one additional start for the Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals, yielding six baserunners and one run in 2.2 innings of work.
Like many of his teammates, Hill was disappointed by the Dodgers’ premature end to the 2019 season but is optimistic over the organization’s trajectory. “First off, this is a great team, and it ended abruptly,” Hill said after Game 5.
“And the future looks great here, too. I think for the fans, younger guys in this locker room and guys that are going to be here next year, this is going to be one of the best teams in baseball. This is very, very difficult. You don’t get a lot of times to do this.”
