Forecasts now point to Toronto possibly moving a key piece they fought hard to acquire just last season — and fans are stunned. DD
Could the Toronto Blue Jays actually trade away this critical piece?
The Toronto Blue Jays head into the offseason desperate to find some answers after coming within two outs of their first World Series title over three decades and a devastating eventual Game 7 defeat.
While the pain of not getting it done won’t be going away anytime soon, Toronto needs to find a way to get over it and get right back to that spot, and this job largely sits with general manager Ross Atkins.
In a very tough spot to be after coming so close to glory, Atkins will have some agonizing decisions to make when it comes to building out next year’s roster. One of those calls will be on closer Jeff Hoffman after giving up the game tying home run following what was a stellar postseason.
In a recent article naming each team’s most likely trade candidate, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report said he can see Hoffman being shipped out of town.
Blue Jays Projected to Trade Away Jeff Hoffman
“The Blue Jays [could consider] trading from their surplus of outfielders, especially if they’re able to re-sign Bo Bichette, at which point they would be bringing back all 13 of the team leaders in plate appearances,” Miller wrote before explaining why Hoffman is more likely. “But between the 4.37 ERA during the regular season and the Miguel Rojas home run that will live in infamy in Canada, if the Blue Jays aren’t aggressively shopping Hoffman this winter, they’re at least going to be receptive to offers. It helps that there are plenty of closers available in free agency to backfill that job.”
Toronto had signed Hoffman a year ago to a lucrative three-year deal worth $33 million, so trading him away may not be the easiest thing.
Despite the fact that he nearly changed the perception of his season entirely before the ninth inning of Game 7, the right-hander had a year to forget in his first campaign north of the border.
Hoffman Had Ugly Season for Blue Jays Before Playoffs
After Hoffman posted a 2.17 ERA, 0.965 WHIP and 2.0 bWAR with the Philadelphia Phillies last year before hitting the open market, the hope was that he was going to come in and instantly give Toronto an All-Star quality closer.
Though there were flashes, an overall ERA of 4.37 with strikeout numbers that had declined slightly and a WHIP which went up to 1.191, the overall campaign for Hoffman was a major disappointment based on the money he was making.
In the playoffs though, Hoffman found another gear and finally looked like what the Blue Jays needed. Even after the home run to Rojas, he still finished October with a 1.46 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12.1 innings with two saves to show he still has it.
While this could be used as reason to keep him, it also would raise the 32-year-old’s value in a potential trade and allow Toronto to recoup something back for him from a contender.
Time will tell what the formal decision is, but Hoffman’s name is likely going to be involved in trade rumors all winter long.
