*This content was translated by AI.
Rich Hill (46), who was familiar to Korean baseball fans as a colleague of Ryu Hyun-jin (38, Hanwha Eagles) during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, virtually announced his retirement. He was the oldest active pitcher in the Major League Baseball (MLB) and symbolized by his indomitable will, but he is finally preparing to put down his glove ahead of the 2026 season.
"MLB Trade Rumors (MLBTR), a media outlet that mainly deals with the movement of U.S. Major League players, reported on the 21st (Korea time) that Rich Hill has no plans to take the mound in the upcoming 2026 season."
According to the report, Rich Hill recently appeared on the baseball podcast "Baseball Isn't Boring" and answered, "First of all, I have no plans to play in 2026."
While Rich Hill was careful to mention the exact word "retirement" directly, he hinted that he was focused on finding new roles within baseball rather than extending his career. "We are looking for various possibilities to stay in the baseball world and contribute," he said. "I am ready to enjoy the business things I will face in my life after I become a player."
This is similar to Joe Kelly (38), who recently announced his intention to retire, saying on the same podcast, "I don't want to use the word retirement, but I don't plan to play anymore." In fact, it is believed that he has officially announced his retirement from active duty.
In fact, to domestic baseball fans, Rich Hill is known as a teammate who played the starting rotation with Ryu Hyun-jin with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016 to 2019. At that time, Hill, like Ryu Hyun-jin, led the Dodgers mound by encouraging each other based on similar experiences that happened after overcoming injuries.
In fact, Rich Hill's career is a drama of "human victory" in itself. He has played 14 teams since his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2005, and holds the tie record for the largest number of teams in Major League history. At one point, he fell to the independent league due to a drop in speed and injury, but he was evaluated as a splendid revival with a luxury curve in his mid-30s.
Rich Hill, who played for the Kansas City Royals in the 2025 season and maintained the title of the oldest major league player, will play in 388 games in the big leagues, recording 90 wins, 76 losses with a 4.02 ERA and 1432 strikeouts. In particular, he was praised as a sample of thorough self-management, playing more than 150 innings in the 2023 season as a member of the Pittsburgh Pyrich and San Diego Padres.
However, Rich Hill ended his career after playing in two major league games in the 2025 season. Since the nomination allocation from the Kansas City Royals in August last year, he has become invincible and has still not been able to find a new team. In the end, leaving behind the days of commanding the Dodgers' mound with Ryu Hyun-jin, Rich Hill has now decided to choose to come down from the mound. MLBTR also said, "I salute his great career. I wish you all the best for your future moves."
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*This content was translated by AI.
