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2024 Stats: 49.0 IP, 2.02 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 1.5 bWAR
Last year was proof that Jeff Hoffman can pitch when not subjected to the worst pitching conditions imaginable.
After spending his first five seasons in the majors with the Colorado Rockies followed by two years with the Cincinnati Reds, Hoffman had career per 9IP ratios of 9.7 hits, 4.5 walks and 8.3 strikeouts and an ERA of 5.68.
He was non-tendered by the Reds in November 2022 and given a spring training invitation with the Twins—where he did pitch well, but evidently not well enough to earn a spot in their bullpen.
Minny’s loss was Philly’s gain, as Hoffman blossomed into the most trusted member of the Phillies bullpen by the end of 2023, even tossing six scoreless innings of relief across his five appearances in the NLCS against Arizona.
And until a four-run implosion about a week ago against the Mariners, he was emphatically better in year No. 2 in Philadelphia.
At the end of July, Hoffman had a 0.98 ERA for the year, had been named an All-Star and seemed to have supplanted José Alvarado as the primary closer. Save situations have been few and far between for them lately, but he is presumably still the reliever they trust the most.
If you’re curious what the market might be for a reliever who struggled for seven seasons with the Rockies and Reds before finding his way for two years in ballparks that weren’t seemingly built for the sole purpose of launching home runs, look no further than Robert Stephenson—who was traded for Hoffman in November 2020, by the way.
In just under 300 career innings for Cincinnati/Colorado, Stephenson had an ERA of 4.97. After finally breaking free of those shackles, he had a 3.15 ERA and averaged 13 K/9 in 65.2 IP between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, resulting in a three-year, $33M deal with the Angels last winter.
Hoffman has been even better than Stephenson was, though, so the reliever who will turn 32 in January might be headed for something even more lucrative.