Padres Predicted to Make Unique Addition to Starting Rotation

With Joe Musgrove sidelined as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the San Diego Padres are expected to seek at least one starting pitcher this offseason.

San Diego might be an ideal fit to explore Jeff Hoffman's transition from the bullpen to the rotation.

Hoffman has been generating a bit of buzz after an ESPN report that a few clubs have considered pursuing Hoffman as a starter.

Hoffman was a key contributor for the 95-win Phillies last season, earning an All-Star selection. He finished the year with an impressive 2.17 ERA over 66.1 innings, racking up 89 strikeouts and recording 10 saves.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report envisions Hoffman’s potential role shift unfolding on the West Coast. Reuter predicted that Hoffman would land with one of the Phillies’ National League rivals, the San Diego Padres.

"The Padres will likely be in the market to add at least one starting pitcher with Joe Musgrove on the shelf recovering from Tommy John surgery, and they could be the perfect team to take a chance on Jeff Hoffman's potential move from bullpen to rotation," Reuter said.

"After all, they were the team that gave Seth Lugo a shot at starting again when they signed him to a one-year deal prior to the 2023 season, and that worked out pretty well." 

Hoffman, the former No. 8 overall draft pick, began his career as a starter at East Carolina University and carried that role into his early professional years. As recently as 2021, he started 11 MLB games for Cincinnati before transitioning to a full-time relief role in 2022 with the Reds.

Across 361 professional appearances, spanning both the majors and minors, Hoffman has started 145 games — accounting for 40 percent of his outings.

If Hoffman was a starter before, then why he didn't he stay there?

Hoffman’s struggles can partly be attributed to his challenging environments, from the altitude and recovery issues in Colorado to the hitter-friendly conditions in Cincinnati.

However, over time, Hoffman has also transformed his pitching arsenal, shifting from a less effective fastball, curveball, and unreliable changeup to a riding four-seam fastball, a hard gyro slider with platoon-neutral qualities, and a well-located splitter developed in the past two seasons.

The Padres will have to duke it out with a few other teams to secure Hoffman, but the likelihood appears to be good considering their track record with transforming bullpen guys into rotation stars.