Team USA roster update gives America a chance to fall in love with Yankees reliever

Team USA advanced in the World Baseball Classic by the skin of Italy's espresso, and even though they'll be losing one Yankees hurler in Ryan Yarbrough for the knockout stage, they'll be gaining an additional lovable name from the Yanks' bullpen: Tim Hill.

Hill, best known by most fans nationally as the man who was left in the bullpen during the lowest moment of the 2024 World Series (well, second-lowest ... maybe third-lowest ... fourth ... lots of stuff happened in Game 5), will provide genuine value to a beleaguered bullpen. Team USA's pitching staff is fronted by aces Paul Skenes and Logan Webb, but lost a great deal of depth when names like Yarbrough, Michael Wacha, and Clay Holmes returned to camp after pool play.

Hill has been fully reheated back at Yankees camp after an offseason away from the game — though we're quite confident he could literally roll out of bed and be ready to bedevil lefties. So far this spring, he's thrown 5 1/3 shutout frames with seven Ks and an 0.56 WHIP. While he lost some of his effectiveness down the stretch last year and was battered by right-handed batters, he's certainly very useful in the right circumstances (and is entering the tournament sharp).

It's not just his stuff that might take America by storm, though. It's his affability and durability. It's the subtle charm that earned him an honor from the Red Sox, despite his Yankees ties.

Mark DeRosa must learn from Aaron Boone's Yankees mistakes with Tim Hill

Hill will add lovable quirks to the roster, but he'll also add another challenge for Mark DeRosa, who didn't exactly cover himself in glory by fumbling the advancement rules last round. There won't be a "Hill or Nestor?" decision ahead of him, but navigating the three-batter minimum has become increasingly difficult with the Yankees' lefty lately. Keeping him away from righties entirely will surely be impossible. It's on DeRosa to minimize the damage, and he'll have less than 48 hours to think about how best to manipulate Hill after his late arrival.

That said, Hill's a "go with your gut" guy, and his gut's as strong as any wily lefty we know. Don't overthink it like Boone famously did. Just give him a chance to maximize your roster's unexpected second chance.