Oct 20, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman (68) reacts after the final out of the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in game four of the NLCS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Mark J. Rebilas
Former Phillie Jeff Hoffman agreed to a three-year/$33 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays Friday, which Shi Davidi of Sportsnet says includes an additional $6 million in incentives.
However, Robert Murray of FanSided says that Hoffman was initially going to top even the best-case scenario of his Blue Jays deal in a pact with the Baltimore Orioles:
"Hoffman and the Orioles reached an agreement on a three-year, $40 million contract earlier this week, sources say. The Orioles, however, flagged Hoffman’s physical — two sources say it was his right shoulder — and ultimately signed right-hander Andrew Kittredge to a one-year, $10 million contract, sources say."
For all the buzz about Hoffman getting interest as a starting pitcher this offseason, the Blue Jays intend to use him at the back-end of their bullpen. While the Orioles have a questionable starting rotation after losing ace Corbin Burnes in free agency, the fact that their pivot after Hoffman's deal fell through was to sign Kittredge suggests they also would have used Hoffman as a reliever. In Baltimore's bullpen, Hoffman would have been reunited with Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto.
In statement, Ross Atkins says Jeff Hoffman, “will get an opportunity to close games for us this season."
Blue Jays GM adds that Hoffman's "arsenal, strike throwing and ability to miss bats against all types of hitters is elite and will undoubtedly make us better."
Is it possible that the Phillies also had some concerns about the shoulder of Hoffman and that's why they pivoted so early in the offseason and instead signed Jordan Romano to a one-year/$8.5 million deal? While the Phillies obviously have had their eyes on Hoffman the last two seasons, the guess here is that what prevented the All-Star reliever from returning to Philly was that he was seeking three years.
Under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies have been hesitant to commit more than two years to relievers because of their volatility, a dynamic he discussed last month.
"Well, if Mariano Rivera was there, I'd be happy to go four years," Dombrowski joked.
"You know, there's just a lot of inconsistencies in relievers in general. It's more of a philosophical type of thing that some of the inconsistencies [make the Phillies hesitant]. But I have to tell you, it's not a steadfast rule by any means. It just depends upon who the guys out there are at this time."
Jeff Hoffman: “Yeah, it sucks. All-Star wasn’t one of my goals, World Series was.” @PhilliesNation @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/K5aMhQVg9L
The problem with the theory that concerns about his shoulder might have turned the Phillies off the same way as they did the Orioles is that there was clearly some gray area here. The doctors employed by the Blue Jays did a physical on Hoffman and signed off on giving him a lucrative deal. Maybe the reason he has $6 million in incentives, as opposed to it just being a $39 million guarantee over three years, has to do with the shoulder. But the Blue Jays can't be too concerned about it, because they just committed to paying Hoffman $33 million.
It is not that uncommon for teams to interpret medicals differently.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post has reported that when Zack Wheeler became a free agent after the 2019 season, doctors from the incumbent Mets "recommended against signing due to his medical history, including his Tommy John surgery."
The division-rival Phillies were glad to ink Wheeler to a five-year/$118 million deal, a pact that was criticized by some at the time but turned out to be one of the most team-friendly contracts in MLB history. Over the next half decade, Wheeler finished runner-up in NL Cy Young Award voting twice (2021 and 2024), logged the second-most innings in baseball (829 1/3) and led all starters in WAR (24.7), according to FanGraphs. Before the final season of Wheeler's deal began, the Phillies signed him to a three-year/$126 million extension, recognizing that he had become one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history.
Obviously, Wheeler is an extreme example. Relievers are even more volatile than starters. Is Hoffman going to become the best relief pitcher in baseball for the Blue Jays? Probably not. But the Orioles flagging his physical hardly means his shoulder is shot, or that the Phillies might not live to regret letting him walk.
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