After almost a month of radio silence, the Toronto Blue Jays have landed another free agent, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6053574/2025/01/10/jeff-hoffman-blue-jays-deal/">inking</a> a three-year, $33 million contract with a former Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman. 
Toronto’s deal with the 32-year-old relief pitcher alleviates an ailing bullpen core that largely disappointed last season. According to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/where-the-blue-jays-bullpen-rebuild-begins/">Sportsnet</a>, Toronto’s bullpen devolved into one of the worst collective groups with a 4.82 ERA, 4.84 FIP, and 20.7% strikeout rate, placing the team at the bottom of the American League. To make matters worse, the team recorded a 1.46 HR/9, which was the highest total across the Major Leagues.
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Hoffman’s signing brings much-needed relief and helps reinforce one of the weaker rosters in the American League East. Below is a quick analysis of what the New York native’s role will look like in the 2025 Blue Jays bullpen. 
Jeff Hoffman’s track record
Even though the Blue Jays selected the right-hander as its ninth pick in 2014, Hoffman was soon traded to the Colorado Rockies as part of the trade package to bring All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto in 2015. 
Unfortunately for Hoffman, he struggled (as many pitchers do) at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, with his ERA never lower than 4.88. His numbers with the Cincinnati Reds weren’t at the elite level either, but he did manage to bring his ERA and WHIP down to 3.83 and 1.41, respectively, while transitioning from a starter to a bullpen arm. He eventually <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6053574/2025/01/10/jeff-hoffman-blue-jays-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landed</a> with the Minnesota Twins on a MiLB deal to start the 2023 season but opted out of the contract when he wasn&#8217;t going to make the Opening Day roster. 
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For Blue Jays fans who aren&#39;t familiar, the Jays selected Jeff Hoffman 9th overall in 2014. Since then, he&#39;s become one of MLB&#39;s most dominant relievers. Sits 97, strikes out 1/3 of the hitters he faces, Savant page looks like this. Will make late innings far easier to navigate. <a href="https://t.co/6Y3nN7mBrj">pic.twitter.com/6Y3nN7mBrj</a>
&mdash; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1877885590940614981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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It was shortly after that the right-hander’s renaissance began when he embarked on a journey as a Philadelphia Phillie, signing a minor league contract shortly after hitting free agency from his Twins departures. During his first year with the Phillies, Hoffman pitched 52.1 innings and recorded a 2.41 ERA, .92 WHIP, 2.57 FIP and 1.5 WAR. Hoffman built upon that strong campaign by posting even better numbers in 2024, amassing a 2.17 ERA, .96 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched and earning his first All-Star nomination.
Aside from a somewhat concerning playoff stat line, Hoffman is a perfect example of a reliever bounceback and became one of the more sought-after pitchers in the free-agent market. 
Jeff Hoffman’s potential role in Toronto’s bullpen 
Right now, Hoffman is one of the better relievers in the Blue Jays bullpen and should slot into the back end of the rotation alongside Yimi Garcia, Chad Green, and Erik Swanson. García had a strong year split between Toronto and Seattle (mostly with the Jays though), authoring a 3.46 ERA, .90 WHIP and 3.73 FIP in 2024. 
Veteran right-hander Chad Green will also split some late-inning relief with García and Hoffman if he is also able to replicate his past season’s records (3.21 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 4.29 FIP) and stay healthy as well. However, since Green has largely struggled to have cleaner innings in 2024, his high-leverage duties could be redistributed to any other relievers who can prevent players from reaching base while generating more swings and misses.  
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Jeff Hoffman’s 2024 Season: 
⭐️ 2.17 ERA ⭐️ 0.96 WHIP ⭐️ 89 Ks ⭐️ 66.1 IP ⭐️ All-Star <a href="https://t.co/oGXWIkl6ZP">pic.twitter.com/oGXWIkl6ZP</a>
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1877882952127779057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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It’s also worth noting that Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6053574/2025/01/10/jeff-hoffman-blue-jays-deal/">said</a> the 32-year-old will get an opportunity to close games for Toronto this season. This statement indicates the considerable trust Hoffman’s new team puts in his experience and skills. The returning Blue Jay will potentially come in for eight and ninth-inning saves in the upcoming season and even tackle high-leverage situations if the team needs cleaner innings. In other words, Hoffman is the most likely to replace former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano’s role should his pitching continue to excel. 
As mentioned previously, Toronto’s bullpen performance plummeted in 2024 compared to 2023. If the Blue Jays bullpen hovered around the top of the league’s bullpen, 2024 was the opposite with a -2.5 WAR – this was <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-sign-all-star-rhp-jeff-hoffman-to-three-year-33m-deal/">seven fewer wins above replacement</a> than the season before. With Toronto’s focus on rebuilding the relief pitching core, the team made several moves such as a reunion with García and a trade for Nick Sandlin while letting Dillon Tate, Genesis Cabrera, and Jordan Romano all hit the open market.
What Hoffman’s deal means for the Blue Jays moving forward
The Blue Jays have replenished their bullpen so far with a few signings this winter and have brought a total of four new relievers, including Hoffman. As Sportsnet puts it, Hoffman’s contract with Toronto “is the club’s largest for a reliever since B.J. Ryan’s $47-million, five-year deal in November 2005.”
The Blue Jays’ deal with Hoffman is likely the turning point for the front office to slow down on the free-agent push for relievers and focus more on potential offensive upgrades. Toronto is still exploring a potential signing with free-agent outfielder Anthony Santandeand the team has been connected to quite a few different free agents this winter. Not adding any bats is simply not an option as the team struggled with offensive woes for the second season in a row. 
Toronto also has the opportunity to deal away from its infield depth. Currently, the team still has nine infielders on its roster, and there are many potential trade candidates, such as Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, and Will Wagner, that the Canadian team can leverage to bolster its roster.
In that sense, Hoffman’s reunion with the Blue Jays now serves as an inflection point as the team seeks a potent bat that can complement first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s offence. Toronto’s focus will now be on anything other than pitching, at least on the free-agent front.
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After almost a month of radio silence, the Toronto Blue Jays have landed another free agent, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6053574/2025/01/10/jeff-hoffman-blue-jays-deal/">inking</a> a three-year, $33 million contract with a former Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman. 

Toronto’s deal with the 32-year-old relief pitcher alleviates an ailing bullpen core that largely disappointed last season. According to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/where-the-blue-jays-bullpen-rebuild-begins/">Sportsnet</a>, Toronto’s bullpen devolved into one of the worst collective groups with a 4.82 ERA, 4.84 FIP, and 20.7% strikeout rate, placing the team at the bottom of the American League. To make matters worse, the team recorded a 1.46 HR/9, which was the highest total across the Major Leagues.
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Hoffman’s signing brings much-needed relief and helps reinforce one of the weaker rosters in the American League East. Below is a quick analysis of what the New York native’s role will look like in the 2025 Blue Jays bullpen. 

Jeff Hoffman’s track record

Even though the Blue Jays selected the right-hander as its ninth pick in 2014, Hoffman was soon traded to the Colorado Rockies as part of the trade package to bring All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto in 2015. 

Unfortunately for Hoffman, he struggled (as many pitchers do) at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, with his ERA never lower than 4.88. His numbers with the Cincinnati Reds weren’t at the elite level either, but he did manage to bring his ERA and WHIP down to 3.83 and 1.41, respectively, while transitioning from a starter to a bullpen arm. He eventually <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6053574/2025/01/10/jeff-hoffman-blue-jays-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landed</a> with the Minnesota Twins on a MiLB deal to start the 2023 season but opted out of the contract when he wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster. 

https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1877885590940614981

It was shortly after that the right-hander’s renaissance began when he embarked on a journey as a Philadelphia Phillie, signing a minor league contract shortly after hitting free agency from his Twins departures. During his first year with the Phillies, Hoffman pitched 52.1 innings and recorded a 2.41 ERA, .92 WHIP, 2.57 FIP and 1.5 WAR. Hoffman built upon that strong campaign by posting even better numbers in 2024, amassing a 2.17 ERA, .96 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched and earning his first All-Star nomination.

Aside from a somewhat concerning playoff stat line, Hoffman is a perfect example of a reliever bounceback and became one of the more sought-after pitchers in the free-agent market. 

Jeff Hoffman’s potential role in Toronto’s bullpen 

Right now, Hoffman is one of the better relievers in the Blue Jays bullpen and should slot into the back end of the rotation alongside Yimi Garcia, Chad Green, and Erik Swanson. García had a strong year split between Toronto and Seattle (mostly with the Jays though), authoring a 3.46 ERA, .90 WHIP and 3.73 FIP in 2024. 

Veteran right-hander Chad Green will also split some late-inning relief with García and Hoffman if he is also able to replicate his past season’s records (3.21 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 4.29 FIP) and stay healthy as well. However, since Green has largely struggled to have cleaner innings in 2024, his high-leverage duties could be redistributed to any other relievers who can prevent players from reaching base while generating more swings and misses.  

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1877882952127779057

It’s also worth noting that Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6053574/2025/01/10/jeff-hoffman-blue-jays-deal/">said</a> the 32-year-old will get an opportunity to close games for Toronto this season. This statement indicates the considerable trust Hoffman’s new team puts in his experience and skills. The returning Blue Jay will potentially come in for eight and ninth-inning saves in the upcoming season and even tackle high-leverage situations if the team needs cleaner innings. In other words, Hoffman is the most likely to replace former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano’s role should his pitching continue to excel. 

As mentioned previously, Toronto’s bullpen performance plummeted in 2024 compared to 2023. If the Blue Jays bullpen hovered around the top of the league’s bullpen, 2024 was the opposite with a -2.5 WAR – this was <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-sign-all-star-rhp-jeff-hoffman-to-three-year-33m-deal/">seven fewer wins above replacement</a> than the season before. With Toronto’s focus on rebuilding the relief pitching core, the team made several moves such as a reunion with García and a trade for Nick Sandlin while letting Dillon Tate, Genesis Cabrera, and Jordan Romano all hit the open market.

What Hoffman’s deal means for the Blue Jays moving forward

The Blue Jays have replenished their bullpen so far with a few signings this winter and have brought a total of four new relievers, including Hoffman. As Sportsnet puts it, Hoffman’s contract with Toronto “is the club’s largest for a reliever since B.J. Ryan’s $47-million, five-year deal in November 2005.”

The Blue Jays’ deal with Hoffman is likely the turning point for the front office to slow down on the free-agent push for relievers and focus more on potential offensive upgrades. Toronto is still exploring a potential signing with free-agent outfielder Anthony Santandeand the team has been connected to quite a few different free agents this winter. Not adding any bats is simply not an option as the team struggled with offensive woes for the second season in a row. 

Toronto also has the opportunity to deal away from its infield depth. Currently, the team still has nine infielders on its roster, and there are many potential trade candidates, such as Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, and Will Wagner, that the Canadian team can leverage to bolster its roster.

In that sense, Hoffman’s reunion with the Blue Jays now serves as an inflection point as the team seeks a potent bat that can complement first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s offence. Toronto’s focus will now be on anything other than pitching, at least on the free-agent front.

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Looking at what Jeff Hoffman brings to the back end of the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a double during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

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