Fans unimpressed by Pittsburgh Pirates' hype video for veteran pitcher Rich Hill

On January 5, Rich Hill signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates worth $8 million, making him the oldest Opening Day player in the MLB at 42 years of age. Hill will bring in eighteen years of experience spanning across 11 other teams.

Rich Hill was drafted into the MLB in 2002 and made it to the Chicago Cubs' majors lineup by 2005. Over the years, he has plied his trade with different teams but hasn't had long spans with any particular roster. Hill has produced a 3.92 ERA over the past three seasons, making 65 starts and one relief appearance. He owns a 3.85 ERA in his career, which is below average, to say the least.

Rich Hill said that he received offers from different teams but chose to sign with Pittsburgh because he felt the starting pitching lineup for the team required some guidance, and he believed he could give them that.

Rich Hill will bring a lot of leadership to the Pirates' setup, but fans weren't entirely happy with the new signing as Hill's age is a major factor. His addition is the latest in a list of player acquisitions for the Pirates in the last two months, and the Bucs' fans voiced their opinions about the move on Twitter.

The Pirates' social media accounts released a hype video for the veteran pitcher. But fans quickly pointed out that the gimmick felt meaningless due to the below-average stats Hill has garnered over the last few seasons.

One fan pointed out his stats from last season:

Another fan also questioned the amount of money the Pirates were dishing out for Hill:

More fans questioned the Pirates' management for their lack of ideas on how to build a team. One user pointed out how the Pittsburgh franchise is incapable of extending contracts for their young players and is instead signing old veterans.

Fans from other teams were also quick to point out that playing against the Pirates should be an easy affair. A Chicago Cubs fan wrote that the Cubs play the Pirates 17 times a year, and with Pittsburgh signing a soon-to-be 43-year-old, Chicago "should be dominating the NL Central for eternity":

Other users also poured in with menial banters:

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Rich Hill says he is ready to "face the challenge"

After the Pirates announced their latest signing, Rich Hill spoke about the challenges he will be facing. However, Hill also revealed that he was ready for it as he believed plenty of positive things were happening in the Pittsburgh camp.

“That type of challenge is something that I’ve been looking forward to,” Rich Hill said. “I believe there are a lot of positive things that are happening here and [the Pirates are] moving in the right direction for this season, to becoming a winning team again.”

It remains to be seen if the oldest player in the MLB can turn the fortunes for his new team, who slumped to a 62-100 regular season last year.