A former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, reportedly failed physical exams with two teams before ultimately signing a $33 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. While it’s uncommon for free agents to fail physicals with one team but pass with another, Hoffman’s case is notable.
Jeff Hoffman will get the opportunity to close games for Blue Jays, GM Ross Atkins says via statement. “We are excited to add Jeff to our bullpen.”
It’s the biggest financial commitment the Blue Jays have made to a reliever in 10 off-seasons under Mark Shapiro and Atkins.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) January 11, 2025
Last week, FanSided’s Robert Murray reported that the Baltimore Orioles flagged Hoffman’s physical, particularly citing concerns over his right shoulder, and instead signed Andrew Kittredge to a $10 million contract. On Monday, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman shared that the Atlanta Braves also had a potential deal with Hoffman, but it fell through after he failed their physical.
The Blue Jays announced on Friday that they had signed Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million deal, which could increase to $39 million with performance incentives. Interestingly, Hoffman was durable and effective during his time with the Phillies, never landing on the injured list after signing a minor league deal in March 2023. Over two seasons in Philadelphia, he posted impressive stats, including a 2.41 ERA in 2023 and a 2.17 ERA last year.
Hoffman’s free agency is complicated by his transition from a starting pitcher with the Colorado Rockies to a successful reliever with the Cincinnati Reds, and multiple teams showed interest in signing him as a starter. The Braves, for example, had success with a similar move when they turned Reynaldo Lopez from a reliever to a starting pitcher in 2023.
