Sep 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman (68) reacts after a strikeout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the tenth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports Kyle Ross
After signing with the Toronto Blue Jays Friday, Jeff Hoffman issued a heartfelt post to the Phillies and Philadelphia on Instagram Sunday:
"Philly,
I’ve been trying to find the words for a while now. But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express how much the last two years have meant to my family and I. You gave me new life. I loved every second of it, the cheers, the boos, and everything in between. I felt how much winning meant to you and didn’t ever want to let you down. I’m sorry we didn’t accomplish our goal. Thank you to the entire Phillies organization from top to bottom for creating such a special environment to work in and thank you, Philadelphia, for giving us something that is so hard to say goodbye to."
Hoffman joined the Phillies on a minor-league deal in March of 2023 after failing to make the Opening Day roster of the Minnesota Twins. At that point, the former first-round pick's MLB career appeared to be on the ropes, as he had a 5.68 ERA over 134 career MLB games — 50 of which were starts — between the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.
It was hardly immediate success for Hoffman upon joining the Phillies organization, as he posted a 7.00 ERA and walked seven batters over seven appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Still, when he was set to opt out of his minor league contract with the Phillies and otherwise pursue an opportunity overseas, the Phillies promoted Hoffman to the majors in May of 2023.
For as much as he had struggled at Triple-A, Hoffman had dominated Bryce Harper — who was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery — in a live batting practice session at Citizens Bank Park shortly before his promotion. That turned heads, including Harper's. So the Phillies took a shot on Hoffman and were rewarded. Over the next two regular seasons, Hoffman posted a 2.28 ERA across 122 games. He was an All-Star in 2024.
Hoffman did mention the Phillies coming up short of their goal of winning a World Series in 2024, as he was among those who struggled mightily in a four-game NLDS loss to the New York Mets. After the series, he said he hoped to be back with the Phillies in 2025:
Jeff Hoffman: “Yeah, it sucks. All-Star wasn’t one of my goals, World Series was.” @PhilliesNation @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/K5aMhQVg9L
Ultimately, that's not how things played out. The Phillies signed Jordan Romano to a one-year/$8.5 million in December while Hoffman waited on a multi-year pact. Hoffman got just that — ironically from the former employer of Romano — in the form of a three-year/$33 million deal that Shi Davidi of Sportsnet says includes an additional $6 million in incentives. This came after concerns over his physical nullified an agreement that Hoffman had in place for an even more lucrative three-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.
Hoffman will return to Citizens Bank Park as a member of the Blue Jays June 3-5. This time, though, Kid Cudi's "Alive" won't be blaring over the speakers as he trots in from the bullpen.
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