Another piece has gone off the board this offseason as former Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Hoffman, 32, signed a three-year $33 million contract with the Blue Jays, cashing in after a strong two-year stint with the Phillies.
A Return to Toronto
Hoffman will now return to the franchise that originally drafted him with the ninth overall pick in 2014 MLB draft. Just over one year later, Hoffman found himself being traded to Colorado in a deal for shortstop Troy Tulowitski. After making his MLB debut in 2016, Hoffman remained in Colorado through the 2020 season before being traded to Cincinnati in 2020. Following a two-year stint in Cincinnati, Hoffman signed with Minnesota for a month in 2023 before being released at the tail-end of Spring Training. Philadelphia signed Hoffman days later.
During his time in Philadelphia, Hoffman pitched 118.2 innings across 122 games for a solid 2.28 ERA. Serving as an anchor in the Phillies’ bullpen, Hoffman struck out 158 batters while only walking 35 across his two seasons of action. In 2024, he represented the Phillies in his first All-Star Game appearance.
The Blue Jays will likely utilize Hoffman to close out games in 2025. This offseason, the Phillies and Blue Jays have essentially traded relievers as the Phillies signed former Blue Jay Jordan Romano earlier this offseason.
Dave Dombrowski has been on record stating that any additional high-impact moves this offseason would be unlikely. Given that, many were still hopeful that the Phillies would make the necessary moves to bring back their cornerstone reliever. Having lost Hoffman and reliever Carlos Estevez this offseason, the Phillies seem content where they stand, having brought in Romano and long-man Joe Ross. Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering will also see a bulk of the work coming out of the bullpen once more in 2025.
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