Jeff Hoffman appears gone from the Phillies, but he has yet to sign which still leaves the door open
Hoffman’s Journey from Depth to Dominance
When Jeff Hoffman signed a minor league deal with the Phillies on April 2, 2023, few could have predicted the impact he’d have. Initially viewed as a depth addition, Hoffman exceeded all expectations, becoming one of the Phillies’ most valuable relievers over the past two seasons. Across 122 appearances, Hoffman posted a 2.28 ERA, 158 strikeouts, 11 saves, and a WHIP of .944 over 118.2 innings. His versatility in high-leverage situations earned him a 3.9 WAR during that span—more than Nick Castellanos or Alec Bohm over the same period.
Despite his playoff struggles, Hoffman’s contributions were immense, and his breakout performance elevated his profile in the league.
Why Hasn’t Hoffman Been Re-Signed?
If Hoffman was of such value, why haven’t the Phillies re-signed him, and why hasn’t another team snatched him up yet? Well for the Phillies, it initially came down to cost. Hoffman is one of the two or three best relievers available this offseason. The Phillies are a team that doesn’t tend to over-invest in relievers. They tend to look for guys like Hoffman, who they paid under $5 million total over two years. They trust Caleb Cotham and their pitching development team to bring guys along. Kerkering, Strahm, Alvarado, and even the development of starter Christopher Sanchez are signs that this team can maximize value on the margins.
This team also seems committed to staying close to or under the final luxury tax unless they get a franchise-changing player. His situation is weird. He became a star in Philadelphia but was largely bad outside of his time with the Phillies, even if his ERA dropped lower in each of the past five seasons. There was plenty of room for it to fall when it started at 9.28. Hoffman will also be 32 when the 2025 season starts, which is old in baseball to throw a multiyear, double-digit million-dollar deal at. That being said he has only thrown 467 total career innings so there should be plenty of treads still on the tires, especially for a reliever.
Hoffman has indicated that he may want to get back to starting pitching, continuing the trend of starters becoming solid relievers for three to four seasons until they establish enough support that they can jump back into the rotation. Hoffman was not good as a starter, but maybe he has turned a corner. It is just a big leap of faith for a team to make. There was some thought, before the Luzardo trade, that maybe he could be in the Phillies’ rotation until Painter was ready then go back to the pen, but obviously that is gone now too.
Could Hoffman Still Return to Philadelphia?
Recently it was reported that Jeff Hoffman was interested in a deal that was similar to what Clay Holmes got, which was three years and $38 million. That feels more than fair for him, but again Holmes is potentially getting a bump because he will be starting games. The market in general has stagnated for the holidays, but Hoffman, along with other relievers like Tanner Scott will get their money.
It still feels highly unlikely that Hoffman comes back to Philly, but as the days tick past and the price continues to drop, don’t count Dombrowski out. Hoffman, despite what lies Jon Heyman wants to send out into the media, loved his time in Philadelphia and surely would not pass up the opportunity to come back. It remains highly unlikely that Hoffman returns and it appears the Phillies might be leaning on a bounce back from Jose Alvarado and another big step forward from José Ruiz to fill the void. If, and when, Hoffman signs somewhere else his presence will be missed.
Do you think there is a chance Jeff Hoffman sticks with Philly? Or will he follow the money, and potential starting gig, elsewhere? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok.
