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The Red Sox have signed left-handed reliever Rich Hill to a minor league deal that, according to Joel Sherman, could be worth up to $1.3 million over a full year in the majors.
Hill is a familiar figure to Red Sox fans, having been in the system from 2010 to 2012. He enjoyed brief periods of success with the major league team over that period, but his typical struggles with injury were not far behind, leaving the Sox to non-tender him after the 2012 season.
Now he's back, but the chances of him even having an opportunity in 2014 will be lower than they were then. The Red Sox have a plethora of left-handed relief options already, including plenty of minor league depth in Drake Britton and Jose Mijares, signed last week to a minor league deal of his own. Whether Hill is first or last in line to come up will likely be determined by his performance over the course of the season, but there's plenty of competition to say the least.
If Hill never makes it to the majors, then he won't really cost the Red Sox much of anything, since his contract is not guaranteed. He'll have chances to opt out on May 15 and June 30 if he's still in the minors by then. The Red Sox have been known to go out of their way to get guys up before their opt-out days, but given their depth at the position they might make an exception in 2014.