Phillies Probably Wish They Re-Signed Jeff Hoffman This Past Winter

It has been a strong start to the season for the Philadelphia Phillies, but the team does have a major issue looming.

Even though they hit a little bit of a rough stretch a couple of weeks ago, the Phillies have been playing good baseball of late and are chasing down the New York Mets in the National League East.

With the return of Ranger Suarez from the injured list, Philadelphia arguably has the best starting rotation in baseball with All-Star caliber pitchers going nearly every day.

The rotation, paired with a strong lineup, has helped the team win a lot of games this year, but they do have a major concern in their bullpen despite trying to address it this winter.

Does Philadelphia Regret Letting Their Reliever Leave?

Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about the Phillies wishing that they had kept Jeff Hoffman this winter.

“But the bullpen has drifted to the bottom third of the league thanks to a series of changes from last year, none bigger than Hoffman’s signing in Toronto.”

With the year over a month completed, the decision by Philadelphia to let Hoffman leave in free agency in favor of Jordan Romano has been a significant mistake. While things can still change, the two have had polar opposite campaigns so far.

In 2024, Hoffman was a key member of what was an improved bullpen for the Phillies heading into the playoffs. However, both Hoffman and others struggled against the Mets, and Philadelphia elected to shake the unit up.

Instead of bringing back the All-Star reliever, they signed Romano from the Toronto Blue Jays to be their new closer.

The right-hander had some great years with the Blue Jays, but struggled on the mound and with injuries last season.

Those struggles have continued in 2025, resulting in major questions for the team. So far, he has totaled a 8.79 ERA with just three saves.

Luckily, he has started to perform a bit better which could be a sign of things to come, but it will take quite a good stretch to make his overall numbers improve and gain trust once again.

On the flip side, Hoffman has been great for Toronto, totaling nine saves and a 3.79 ERA.

Through a little over a month, it has been the Blue Jays who have gotten the better end of the ‘free-agent swap’.

The bullpen has been a concern for the team in recent years and it will once again be trouble for the team barring upgrades.