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Yankees must avoid reunion with veteran reliever despite reports to the contrary

The Yankees shouldn't reunite with this reliever despite being in need of bullpen help.
ByPat Ragazzo
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Sep 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tim Hill (41) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tim Hill (41) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees must address their offense and bullpen this offseason, the latter of which has seen some key arms hit free agency. Closer David Bednar (extended the qualifying offer) and breakout setup man Paul Blackburn are both on the open market and the Yankees should probably retain them.

Another Yankees reliever, Tim Hill, is a free agent as well, and the team has already been linked to him during this week's GM Meetings. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Yankees are interested in re-signing Hill, with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians also "in the mix."

While it wouldn't be the worst thing, there's just little need for the Yankees to make this move. They need to remake the 2025 and 2026 rosters; not repeat them.

Why the Yankees must avoid a reunion with Tim Hill

While Hill appears to be drawing heavy interest so far, the Yankees shouldn't bring him back for a fourth season in the Bronx. Hill produced a 2.0 bWAR from 2024-25, but struggled last season, posting a 4.60 ERA, 5.93 FIP and 0.0 bWAR in 67 appearances (58.2 innings). As a result, he was left off the Yankees' roster throughout both rounds of the postseason.

Although left-handed batters hit just .213/.265/.346 against Hill, righties crushed him with a .293 average and seven home runs. Hill's stuff also regressed in 2026 and his deceptive delivery and arm angle were no longer fooling opposing hitters.

Hill only had a 10.4% strikeout rate, and doesn't get batters to swing-and-miss or chase pitches out of the zone. He was also in the 12th percentile for hard hit rate last year at 43.4%, per Baseball Savant. Plus, he only averages 88.3 mph on his sinker (his best pitch) and 89.2 mph on his four-seamer. The Yankees need more velocity than that.

Hill's best skillset is inducing ground balls, and he still had a 68.9% ground ball rate last season, which was in the 100th percentile in baseball. But that was pretty much the only consistent positive. He's now entering his age-37 season, so the Yankees should keep poking around elsewhere.

The Yankees can find other options to replace Hill's role for cheaper on the open market or internally. New York is in need of more high-leverage arms in their bullpen, and Hill was not one of them a season ago as he fell out of favor.

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