BALTIMORE – Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Red Sox and Rich Hill are close to agreeing to a contract.

A baseball source confirmed Thursday night that the sides were moving toward an agreement, with expectations that a deal bringing the 44-year-old back to his hometown will be finalized soon. WEEI’s Rob Bradford first reported that the Red Sox and Hill were finalizing a minor league contract.

Hill is expected to report to Triple-A Worcester in the next few days. After a 5-1 loss to the Orioles, manager Alex Cora had little to say about the impending addition, but noted that he “just found out” that a deal was imminent.

Hill, who previously pitched for the Sox in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2022, has yet to throw a competitive pitch this season, but impressed various scouts at a showcase he held in Waltham late last week. The Milton native had major league offers on the table last winter — including from the defending champion Rangers, as well as the Athletics and Pirates — after splitting 2023 between Pittsburgh and San Diego and recording a 5.41 ERA in 32 games (146 ⅓ innings). But he decided to wait to pursue a contract until his 12-year-old son, Brice, finished his little league season. Hill coached Brice’s team in Milton and recently took a trip to Cooperstown with his son’s team, around the time he was pitching for clubs. The Red Sox sent a scout to see him pitch last Friday.

Hill’s fit with the Red Sox is obvious, as left-hander James Paxton — brought back before last month’s transfer deadline to bolster the starting lineup — has “unlikely chances” of returning this season after suffering a tear in his right calf on Sunday. While it’s unclear what Hill has left in the tank at this point in his career, he’s another option for the fifth spot alongside right-hander Cooper Criswell, who is expected to return from the COVID injured list and take Paxton’s spot on Friday at Camden Yards. The Red Sox know Hill well, having had him in the organization just two years ago, and will give him the opportunity to once again pitch close to home.

If Hill does throw a major league pitch before the end of the season, it would be the 20th major league season in which he does so. He made his debut on June 15, 2005, just a month before his new WooSox teammate Roman Anthony celebrated his first birthday.

If a deal goes through, it will be the eighth time Hill has signed a free agent contract with the Red Sox. He did so twice in 2010, first to join the club in June, then to re-sign in December. He re-signed in December 2011. He signed with Boston as a free agent in February 2014, then after being released during training camp, he re-signed just before Opening Day. He was a pitcher in Pawtucket before the Angels bought his rights. Hill returned for a sixth time in August 2015, revitalizing his career with a strong performance down the stretch. His seventh contract came in December 2021, when he signed a one-year deal for 2022.

In recent weeks, there have been rumors that the Dodgers and Yankees are interested in Hill.