Former Yankees reliever lingering in free agency would be perfect fit for Mariners

It doesn't take a Sabermetrician or tenured baseball executive to know that the Seattle Mariners need to acquire offense this offseason. Unfortunately, that typically comes at a premium, one that the front office can't or won't pay for.

They have done what they can to get value for money thus far, but after trade and free agent rumors failed to become anything more than whispers, it may be time to instead play to their strength: pitching. They would be hard-pressed to find true upgrades to their league-leading rotation, but the bullpen could afford to add another piece, especially a crafty arm who pitched in the World Series.

After a brutal 2023 with the Padres that saw him fight through recurring finger injuries, Tim Hill was non-tendered and signed a one-year deal with the White Sox. He posted a 5.87 ERA over 23 innings in Chicago and was released by mid-June before surprisingly being acquired by the Yankees.

As it turns out, a change of scenery may have been all he needed, as he finished his season with a 2.05 ERA over 44 innings in The Bronx. He was also an integral part of the postseason bullpen, giving up just a single earned run over 8 1/3 innings on their path to the World Series.

He seldom exceeds 90 mph on the radar gun, but as a southpaw submarine pitcher with an average arm angle of -20 degrees, he doesn't need it. An absolute master of soft contact, his barrel rate of 1.7% and ground ball rate of 68.1% were both in the top percentile of big-league pitchers. The average launch angle on his batted balls in 2024 was an incredible -6.8 degrees, making him one of the best at inducing double plays.

Mariners Rumors: Tim Hill should be a Seattle target as reliever lingers

His unique profile has drawn attention from his most recent team as well as a new one across town, so should the Mariners toss their hat in the ring as well? If their bullpen is missing anything, it's an unorthodox lefty.

Last year, the only southpaws to appear in more than 10 games were Tayler Saucedo, Gabe Speier, and Kirby Snead. On the depth chart, they replaced Snead with a new waiver pickup from Milwaukee, but there's no guarantee he'll stick around for long. Hill is a proven player who has been in the majors for seven years and has seemingly figured out what caused regression in 2023 and the first half of 2024 to reach what seems to be a career renaissance.

Most importantly, he would likely be fairly affordable. The contract he signed in 2024 was for $1.8 million and his new deal would likely be in a similar ballpark (figuratively of course, unless he yearns for Rate Field). Speier and Saucedo both agreed to contracts <$1 million to avoid arbitration this offseason, but Hill seems to have a higher upside than those two and also has more service time. $3-$4 million AAV doesn't seem too crazy.

The front office has already made other moves to bolster their group of relievers, but none of the new faces are as established as Hill. Furthermore, the team's industry-leading pitching development program could make the most out of his unique style and delivery. He won't be able to create more runs for his team, but his run prevention abilities could give them a slightly easier path to victory.