The Braves apparently also nixed a Jeff Hoffman deal after physical

A second team apparently backed out of a deal with former Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman before he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the NL East-rival Atlanta Braves were close to a deal with Hoffman before a physical scared them off: 

Per a source, Jeff Hoffman had a potential deal that was nixed when he failed a physical with the Braves’ medical staff. Hoffman also reportedly failed a physical with the Orioles before signing with the Blue Jays

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 13, 2025

Robert Murray of FanSided had previously reported that the Baltimore Orioles backed out of a three-year/$40 million deal they had in place with Hoffman because of concerns about his right shoulder that emerged during the physical process. 

Teams can disagree about medicals, or be willing to take different levels of risk in signing players. Jon Heyman of The New York Post has said that doctors from the Mets advised the organization against signing Zack Wheeler when he became a free agent after the 2019 season, only for the Phillies to give him a five-year/$118 million deal and have him pitch like one of the most durable and dominant arms in baseball over the lifetime of that pact. 

Clearly, there was some gray area here, because the Blue Jays ultimately gave Hoffman a three-year/$33 million deal, presumably feeling comfortable that he'll hold up. Still, one team like the Orioles — who aren't famous for loving to spend money — flagging a physical is one thing. Once a second team does it, then it becomes a little more difficult to write off. It also perhaps provides an explanation for why Hoffman's deal in Toronto includes an additional $6 million in incentives, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. 

For what it's worth, Hoffman didn't go on the injured list once in two seasons with the Phillies, posting a 2.28 ERA across 122 games. Might the Phillies have been aware of some concerns about the 32-year-old's shoulder? It's possible, although the guess here remains that they weren't going to meet a three-year asking price for a reliever, even one with no potential medical concerns. 

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