The Tigers and right-hander Garrett Hill have reconnected, according to Hill’s MLB.com profile page, who signed a new minor league contract earlier this week. It’s a quick reunion for the two teams, as the Tigers released Hill last week to make room on their 40-man roster.
Hill, a 26th-round pick by Detroit in the 2018 draft, made his MLB debut on July 4, 2022, and started his first eight Major League games before moving to the bullpen. The result was a respectable 4.03 ERA over 60 1/3 innings, even if a.247 BABIP helped mask some unimpressive secondary numbers.
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Hill’s fortunes changed last season, when he posted a 9.19 ERA in 15 2/3 relief innings in the majors and a 6.02 ERA in 46 1/3 frames for Triple-A Toledo. While Hill’s control had been inconsistent earlier in his career, walks became a major issue in 2023, with a 14.3% walk rate during his time in Toledo.
Hill also spent nearly a month on the Triple-A injured list, making it a difficult year all around for the righty. He’ll be looking for a fresh start in his age-28 season, and it’s understandable why the Tigers would want to keep Hill around.
Aside from his swingman potential, Hill has consistently missed a lot of bats in his minor league career — despite his struggles, Hill still had a 28.7% strikeout rate at Triple-A in 2023. That strikeout potential has yet to translate to the big league level, but Detroit has no risk in bringing him back on a minor league contract for another look.
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