The Phillies might be in for an unexpected twist if they hope to bring back Jeff Hoffman as one of their high-leverage relievers.
According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, "there is some industry buzz that Hoffman's pitch mix and history as a starting pitcher have some teams thinking he could be a reliever-to-starter free agent signing."
McDaniel cited Reynaldo López of the Atlanta Braves and Jordan Hicks of the San Francisco Giants as two pitchers who entered free agency last offseason viewed by the public as relievers, but ultimately signed to be starters. Hicks was a bit of a mixed bag, posting a 4.10 ERA and 4.37 FIP across 109 2/3 innings. López, however, was a massive success as a starter, posting a 1.99 ERA over 135 2/3 innings, and making the NL All-Star team.
Hoffman was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, and did begin his career as a starting pitcher with both the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds. His 5.64 ERA in 50 career starts gives you an indication of why he was eventually moved to the bullpen.
Jeff Hoffman: “Yeah, it sucks. All-Star wasn’t one of my goals, World Series was.” @PhilliesNation @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/K5aMhQVg9L
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) October 10, 2024
With that said, Hoffman was pitching his home games at the two least pitcher-friendly parks in the sport in Coors Field and Great American Ballpark when he was a starter. He also hadn't yet developed the wipeout slider that's made him one of the better relievers in baseball over the last two years. The idea of using Hoffman as a starting pitcher hadn't previously been discussed, but you can at least understand why it might be a consideration for some teams.
If Hoffman would sign to be a starting pitcher — which, for the record, McDaniel doesn't ultimately see as the most likely scenario — it almost certainly wouldn't be with the Phillies. The Phillies need to add starting rotation depth behind Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, but probably aren't going to make a big-money investment that blocks Andrew Painter.
Because the Phillies didn't extend a qualifying offer to Hoffman, they would be left empty-handed if he departed in free agency. For what it's worth, Hoffman repeatedly stated during the 2024 season that he hoped to remain in Philadelphia.
Phillies Mailbag from @TimKellySports & @AntSanPhilly
Why Didn't Jeff Hoffman Get The Qualifying Offer?https://t.co/KV6r87sM3L
Even after a disastrous postseason series against the New York Mets, the Phillies are unlikely to do much better than Hoffman in terms of late-game relievers unless they trade for a star closer like Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers or Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals. Hoffman has posted a 2.28 ERA across 122 relief appearances for the Phillies over the last two seasons. Over that period, FanGraphs says that the 3.6 WAR that Hoffman has accumulated is fifth among all relievers.
But McDaniel projects Hoffman will receive a three-year/$48 million deal in free agency. That would be quite a commitment for someone not entrenched as your closer. It makes you wonder whether circling back with Carlos Estévez and/or signing another free agent like Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Clay Holmes, A.J. Minter or Kirby Yates will end up being the route that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski goes this offseason.
