Jeff Hoffman’s Path to the Rotation: Blue Jays’ Reliever Set to Make Surprising Transition to Starter

Much to the delight of the fan base, the Blue Jays finally made a significant move on Friday when they signed Jeff Hoffman to a three-year pact worth $33 million. The right-hander began his professional career with the Blue Jays when they drafted him 9th overall in the 2014 draft, but before he made his MLB debut, he was shipped to the Colorado Rockies in a deal that brought Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto, where he spent the first five seasons of his big league journey.

The hard-throwing right-hander’s career has taken an interesting path since he debuted in 2016. He began as a starter for the Rockies and struggled to stay healthy or find much success, but that all changed when he shifted to the bullpen. Hoffman was quietly one of the better late-inning relievers in the game for the Phillies over the last two seasons, posting a 2.17 ERA and a 0.965 WHIP over 66.1 innings in 2024, and a 2.41 ERA and a 0.917 WHIP over 52.1 IP in 2023. That’s exactly the kind of production that the Blue Jays needed to add to their bullpen mix, and they’ve quietly put together a pretty solid group at this point.

When I first saw the news that Hoffman had signed with the Blue Jays, I assumed that he would be used in the rotation. There have been plenty of reports throughout that winter that Hoffman might be interested in taking another chance at starting, and that felt like exactly the kind of value play that Ross Atkins and this front office would be interested in. However, then Atkins told the press that Hoffman would be given the opportunity to earn the closer’s role, and truthfully I think that’s a better fit with this current roster anyway.

Jeff Hoffman and the potential return to the Blue Jays rotation

All that said, I can’t help but wonder if the two parties haven’t ruled out that Hoffman could take a shot at starting again at some point throughout his three-year contract. The 32-year-old will make $11 million per season over the life of his new deal, but it also includes a $500,000 bonus for each milestone he hits between 60, 70, 80, and 90 innings. It’s not a massive sum by any means, but it does allow for a scenario where Hoffman could earn an extra $2 million per season if he does end up starting.

Of course, he could and likely would hit some of those milestones even if he was working as a closer. For comparison’s sake, former Blue Jays ninth-inning-man Jordan Romano went over the 60-inning threshold twice in his career, back to back in 2021 and 2022. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of 70 innings being within reach either, provided Hoffman was able to stay healthy throughout the entire campaign. On the other hand, maybe things change with this team in the next year or two and it makes sense to try Hoffman in the rotation again. Chris Bassitt will be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, and Kevin Gausman will follow him at the end of the 2025 campaign. Jose Berrios could also opt out of his current deal after the 2026 season, so there are a lot of moving parts with the pitching staff in general.

At any rate, that “staying healthy” part may also have a lot to do with the incentives in Hoffman’s new contract. It’s been well documented that the Orioles balked at their original deal for Hoffman before the Blue Jays swooped in to sign him, citing some concerns with his physical before their offer became official. If there is still some concern on the part of the Blue Jays, this contract set-up provides a wee bit of protection against that scenario, but more importantly, the opportunity for Hoffman to earn a little more as long as all goes according to plan.

For now, I’m confident that Atkins is telling the truth that Hoffman will likely end up as the Blue Jays closer in 2025, and I think that raises the floor and the ceiling for this team in the season ahead.

There is still a fair bit of work to be done, and hopefully, bringing in Hoffman will be the first of a few much-needed moves that determine the short—and long-term future of this franchise. With plenty of questions about this team still up in the air, this deal makes all the more sense for both sides.