Looking at what Jeff Hoffman brings to the back end of the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen

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.  

It’s also worth noting that Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said 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 seven fewer wins above replacement 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.