The Cleveland Guardians have made it clear they need bullpen help this winter, and their name has now surfaced in connection with a veteran reliever. Tim Hill spent the last three seasons with the New York Yankees and is now a free agent. The left-hander has been one of the more durable relievers in the American League, and plenty of teams are taking notice. The Yankees would like to keep him, but they will have competition. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that Cleveland is among the other clubs pursuing him, writing, “The Guardians, Mets, Giants and Dodgers are among other teams in the mix.”
“The Yankees are interested in bringing back Tim Hill. The Guardians, Mets, Giants and Dodgers are among other teams in the mix,” Heyman wrote.
The Yankees are interested in bringing back Tim Hill. The Guardians, Mets, Giants and Dodgers are among other teams in the mix
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 12, 2026
The interest makes sense. Cleveland’s bullpen was stretched thin by the end of October, with Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis each pitching in nine of the team’s 11 playoff games. Colin Holderman is recovering from wrist surgery, and the club declined its options on Shawn Armstrong and Trevor Stephan. Chris Antonetti also told The Athletic this week that Cleveland’s payroll will go up, so the front office has some room to add pieces.
Hill’s biggest selling point is reliability. He made 67 appearances in 2026 after making 70 the year before, and he has pitched in at least 62 games in each of the last three seasons. Over nine big league seasons, he has appeared in 519 games, all in relief.
He has been especially effective in New York. After the White Sox let him go in the middle of 2024, the Yankees picked him up, and he posted a 2.05 ERA over 35 appearances the rest of the way. He followed that with a 3.09 ERA in 67 innings in 2025. Across three seasons with the Yankees, he has a 3.34 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.
His 2026 season was a step back, though. Hill went 5-2 with a 4.60 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and two saves over 58 2/3 innings. He struck out just 25 batters, and he gave up 12 home runs after allowing eight the year before. His 5.93 FIP suggests his results could have been even worse. Hill has never been a strikeout pitcher, relying instead on his unusual sidearm delivery and a heavy sinker that generates weak contact, but his margin for error got smaller this season.
Age is another factor. Hill turns 37 in February, so any team that signs him will likely offer a one-year deal. That fits how Cleveland usually builds its bullpen, finding experienced arms on short, affordable contracts and getting the most out of them.
His story is an unlikely one, too. The Kansas City Royals drafted Hill in the 32nd round in 2014 out of Bacone College in Oklahoma, and he did not make his big league debut until he was 28. He has since pitched for the Royals, Padres, White Sox and Yankees.
Hill would not be a headline signing, but he could give Stephen Vogt a dependable lefty who can take the ball almost every day. If Cleveland’s pitching staff can help him get back to his 2025 form, he could be a valuable addition to a bullpen that badly needs depth.
NEXT: Guardians Executive Says What Fans Have Waited Years To Hear
