It’s been bandied about for some time now. But as the trade deadline approached and no extension seemed to be in the cards, the Oakland Athletics realized they needed to move veteran starter Rich Hill.
That become a reality in the hours leading up to the deadline with Oakland sending the 36-year-old Hill as well as outfielder Josh Reddick to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Source: Reddick and Hill to #Dodgers.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 1, 2016
Hill has been shelved for the past two weeks with a blister in his throwing hand. However, it’s readily apparent he was one of the top starters remaining on the market. The veteran has pitched to a 9-3 record with a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 14 starts. He’s also striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings.
In need of a left-handed bat in the outfield, Los Angeles was also able to pick up a more than reliable Josh Reddick in this massive deal.
Reddick, 29, is hitting .296 with a solid .368 on-base percentage on the season.
The Dodgers will be getting potential rentals here. Though, it’s possible they could come to agreements on extensions before Hill and Reddick hit the free-agent market during the winter.
It was a move that made perfect sense for Los Angeles. It needed another starter with Clayton Kershaw shelved to a back injury and the bottom of the rotation struggling to do anything of substance from the bump.
In Hill, the Dodgers acquired a pitcher that could slot in behind Kershaw (once he returns) and give the Dodgers a solid one-two punch for the stretch run.
Taking advantage of a sellers market, the A’s were able to turn Hill and Reddick into flame-throwing starting pitcher Jharel Cotton, who has recorded 119 strikeouts in 97.1 innings in Triple-A this season. Cotton figures to join the A’s rotation immediately.
There are other prospects heading to Oakland in the deal. In fact, reports suggest that Cotton is not the headliner here.
We will provide updates when they become available.