Hill agrees to 1-year deal to return to Yankees (source)

The Yankees will bring back a key member of their bullpen after agreeing to a one-year, $2.25 million deal with left-hander Tim Hill, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Sunday. The club has not confirmed.

The deal also includes a club option for 2028 worth $2.5 million.

In 58 2/3 innings for the Yankees in 2026, Hill had a 4.60 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Compared to his previous two seasons with New York (and part of the ‘24 season with the White Sox), Hill’s ‘26 season represented a step backward. From 2024-25, Hill had a 3.22 ERA across 134 innings and was a key left-hander in New York’s bullpen.

In the era of the three-batter minimum rule, Hill has managed to remain a productive pitcher despite his profile from a bygone era. Hill is a sidearming lefty -- his negative-22-degree arm angle was second lowest in 2026 -- who averaged 88.3 mph on his sinker. He produces ground balls at an elite clip, boasting a 68.9 percent ground-ball rate that ranked in the 100th percentile. Hill throws tons of strikes, doesn’t miss bats and keeps balls on the ground – a classic LOOGY profile.

That profile, however, does bring complications when he’s facing right-handed hitters. He dominated lefties with a .611 OPS against in 2026, but righties had a .909 OPS against him. That’s essentially how it’s been throughout his career -- lefties own a career .588 OPS against him while righties have an .807 OPS. So it goes with someone with his profile, but it’s become more complicated in this era.

Hill very much still has a role in 2027 and beyond given how effective he is against lefties. His usefulness, though, also comes down to how managers utilize him against opposite-handed hitters.