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    Jeff Hoffman holds on for save against Giants

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    MIN Relief Pitcher #24
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    Jeff Hoffman allowed one run in the ninth inning before recording a save against the Giants on Tuesday.

    Hoffman was summoned to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead over the Giants. He walked the leadoff man, then hit the next batter before a sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position. The Giants would bring one run across on a force out before Hoffman struck out the final batter to secure the win with his sixth save of the season.
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  • MIN Relief Pitcher #24
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    He also had a bone chip removed. Hoffman missed the final weekend of the season, going on the IL with forearm inflammation. It was his first absence of any sort since 2022. He’s expected to resume throwing in eight weeks and should have a normal spring training, if there happens to be a normal spring training. Barring an expensive signing, he seems like the current favorite to close for the Twins next year.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #24
    Hoffman heads to the shelf with two games remaining in the regular season. The 33-year-old has shared the closing role in Minnesota with Andrew Morris for the last couple weeks. He’s recorded one save along with a strong 2.50 ERA and 27/12 K/BB across 18 innings since being acquired from the Blue Jays at last month’s trade deadline. There should be some clarity on his health heading into the offseason at some point in the coming days.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #94
    Gómez retired only one of the five batters he faced before being replaced by Kody Funderburk, who saved Gómez’s ERA by inducing a double play. It left with the Twins with a one-run lead entering the ninth, but that was blown by A.J. Minter in what turned into an 11-inning loss. Gómez was back in action tonight following one day off after pitching three days in a row, and the Twins are simply asking for too much from him at the moment. He’s been a great surprise for the team this year, but he’s still an average reliever at best. One imagines that Jeff Hoffman, who pitched a scoreless seventh tonight, will get a chance to take over as the Twins’ closer next year. It should have happened after he was acquired last month.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #23
    Aaron Gleeman reports that the Jays are covering $3.77 million of the approximately $14.2 million that Hoffman is owed through the end of next year. The 33-year-old Hoffman figures to go back to closing in Minnesota after losing his job in Toronto to ex-Twin Louis Varland. He has a 3.94 ERA this season, but that comes with a 75/18 K/BB and only four homers allowed in 48 innings. He’s allowed three earned runs in 22 1/3 innings since the beginning of June. The acquisition of Hoffman probably makes Yoendrys Gómez droppable in mixed leagues.
  • TOR Relief Pitcher #23
    Hoffman was instrumental in Toronto’s playoff success last year, but found himself out of the closer role with the emergence of Louis Varland, who ironically came over from the Twins at last year’s deadline. The 33-year-old should bolster Minnesota’s relief corps as they attempt to make a playoff push in the final two months.
  • TOR Starting Pitcher #34
    This makes plenty of sense. The Phillies need another starter for the rotation and potentially another outfield bat as well. The Blue Jays could send any combination of Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, George Springer, and Daulton Varsho. The Phillies may also be interested in Jeff Hoffman for the bullpen. Would the Blue Jays want to take a chance that they can “fix” Andrew Painter? There is still time to go here and nothing imminent, but it seems like a pairing that makes sense.
  • TOR Relief Pitcher #23
    The rally started with a soft liner that Ernie Clement could do nothing with and included a couple of more singles, a couple of steals and a long go-ahead sac fly that would have been a homer in 15 ballparks. The earned runs were the first allowed by Hoffman since June 6. He had since allowed one unearned run in 13 innings. He’s still throwing well enough to resume closing, but it seems highly unlikely that the Jays will give him that chance as long as Louis Varland remains healthy.
  • TOR Relief Pitcher #23
    If was Hoffman’s error, but it might have been Kazuma Okamoto’s mistake. After Joey Loperfido tripled in the eighth, Hoffman tried a pickoff play, but Okamoto wasn’t aware of it and the throw sailed past him into right field. If it was something Hoffman did on his own, it’s his fault. But it might have been called from the dugout. Hoffman went on to strike out Yainer Diaz and retire Cam Smith on a flyout, so if not for the miscue, he might have escaped the jam. As it, is turned into his fifth loss of the year.
  • TOR Relief Pitcher #77
    The Phillies took a 2-1 lead against Varland in the top of the ninth, but the Jays came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to win the game and make Varland 3-1 on the season. Jeff Hoffman pitched a scoreless seventh in a tie game tonight, but it probably won’t matter much what Hoffman does unless Varland blows a lead in the near future.
  • TOR Relief Pitcher #23
    Hoffman came into a 6-1 game with one on and immediately gave up the homer to Alonso, adding one run to both his and Spencer Miles’ ledger. He then struck out Coby Mayo and induced a soft groundout from Leody Taveras. The home run ball, a far bigger issue last season, was the fourth allowed by Hoffman in 27 1/3 innings this year. It’s the absurd .492 BABIP that has caused most of Hoffman’s problems this season. He probably won’t be receiving any save chances in the short term after giving up five runs in the ninth the Orioles last Saturday.

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  • SD Center Fielder #47
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    Padres signed OF Cal Stevenson to a minor league contract.

    The 30-year-old outfielder spent the 2026 season in the Tigers’ organization where he slashed .264/.410/.456 with nine homers, 33 RBI and seven stolen bases in 330 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo. He’ll add extra outfield depth for the Friars.
  • LAA Relief Pitcher #67
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    Angels re-signed LHP Sammy Peralta to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

    Peralta made 16 appearances at the MLB level between the Angels and Rockies in 2026, posting a miserable 6.65 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and a 23/9 K/BB ratio over 23 frames. It’ll take a strong showing in Cactus League action for him to crack the Halos’ Opening Day bullpen.
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    Angels and C Tyler Heineman avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.2375 million contract.

    The 35-year-old backstop will remain with the Angels in a backup role heading into the 2027 campaign. Heineman slashed just .175/.223/.220 with one homer and 10 RBI in 200 plate appearances between the Blue Jays and Angels in 2026.
  • TOR Right Fielder #25
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    Anthony Santander publicly apologized Friday for since-deleted Islamophobic social media posts.

    Santander shared anti-Muslim videos following the U.S. election last week before eventually taking them down. The Blue Jays released a statement Thursday condemning all forms of hate. Most assume the Jays would like to rid themselves of Santander at this point, though he still has $49 million left on the five-year deal he signed after hitting 44 homers for the Orioles in 2024. He’s since played in just 54 games in 2025 and none in 2026 because of shoulder issues. Even if the Jays are willing to eat the contract, it makes financial sense to wait until after the lockout ends, since any missed games next season would lead to a corresponding reduction of his $16.5 million salary.
  • FA Starting Pitcher #43
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    According to Kevin Barral of Fish on First, the Marlins have expressed interest in free agent southpaw Patrick Sandoval.

    The Marlins are in the market for arms that could fill out the backend of their rotation or provide quality depth. When right, Sandoval should be able to do that, be he had very inconsistent results in his first action back from Tommy John surgery — posting a 1-7 record, 5.12 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and a 73/32 K/BB ratio across 70 1/3 innings in his 15 appearances.
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    Bruce Levine of 670 The Score in Chicago reports that both the Cubs and White Sox have expressed interest in Japanese right-hander Kaima Taira.

    Both teams met with agent Scott Boras during the general manager’s meetings to discuss the 26-year-old hurler. The Padres are also known to have expressed interest in his services. With the potential lockout looming, it doesn’t sound like Nippon Professional Baseball is going to change the posting rules at all, so any player that has been posted for MLB teams will need to sign before the lockout or return to their clubs in Japan. Expect the interest to really heat up here in the coming days.
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    Rangers re-signed INF Max Wagner to a minor league contract.

    Wagner got a $1.9 million bonus from the Orioles as the 42nd overall pick in the 2022 draft, but Baltimore gave up on him after he hit .218/.301/.339 in Double-A in 2025. The Rangers signed him in April, and he put up a much-improved .249/.337/.523 line with 21 homers in 85 games in Double-A at age 25 last season. If he can do that again in Triple-A next year, he might become a candidate for a major league bench gig.
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    Reds re-signed OF Shane Sasaki to a minor league contract.

    Sasaki, the Rays’ third-round pick in 2019, hit .241/.340/.371 in 53 games for Double-A Chattanooga last season before missing the final 3 1/2 months with an injury. He’ll aim to win a spot on the Triple-A roster when minor league spring training starts.
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    Reds re-signed LHP Ben Wereski to a minor league contract.

    Wereski, 28, had a 4.42 ERA in 12 starts between Double- and Triple-A after being plucked out of indy ball last season. He’s probably just Triple-A depth, but there’s the chance he’ll be needed to come up and make a start or two next season.
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    Reds re-signed RHP Trevor Kuncl to a minor league contract.

    Kuncl will compete to retain his spot in the Triple-A Louisville pen after posting a 5.40 ERA and a 42/29 K/BB in 37 1/3 innings for the Bats last season.