Jeff

Hoffman

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Louis Varland had shut down the heart of the Orioles lineup in the eighth inning before Hoffman took the mound with a four-run lead in the ninth. It didn’t go well. Hoffman struck out the first batter, then allowed the next six batters to reach, bringing three runs in and loading the bases. Connor Seabold took over and walked in a run before Pete Alonso walked it off with a base hit. Hoffman had been pitching better of late, making six straight scoreless appearances. Though Saturday’s implosion certainly won’t help his cause in retaking the closer role. Varland remains the reliever to roster in Toronto.

Hoffman had a three-run cushion, but he didn’t need it in setting down Brandon Lowe, Oneil Cruz and Endy Rodríguez. Hoffman was the easy choice to close today after Louis Varland had a two-inning save Friday. Varland should be back on the role on Sunday if the Jays have a chance to extend their streak to five straight days with a save.

With Louis Varland unavailable after pitching in the previous two games, Hoffman slid back into the ninth inning role and performed flawlessly. He got Cody Bellinger on a line drive to first base and then punched out Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Paul Goldschmidt in succession to end it. It’s going to take an injury or a series of implosions from Varland for Hoffman to reclaim his closer’s gig, but it was nice to see him have success in the role once again on Thursday.