On Friday, pitcher Jeff Hoffman returned to the team that drafted him—signing a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on the heels of an All-Star season.
However, reports suggest Hoffman could easily have wound up with a division rival.
"Hoffman and the Baltimore Orioles reached an agreement on a three-year, $40 million contract earlier this week, sources say," Robert Murray of FanSided wrote Friday evening. "The Orioles, however, flagged Hoffman’s physical—two sources say it was his right shoulder."
Hoffman's contract with the Blue Jays is said to be worth $33 million, a $7 million reduction from what he would've made had his reported agreement with Baltimore gone through.
OFFICIAL: We’ve signed All-Star RHP Jeff Hoffman to a 3-year deal ⭐️
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) January 11, 2025
Welcome Back, @Hoff_23! pic.twitter.com/A1tN8zOGjV
With the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, Hoffman posted the best numbers of his career during his age-31 season. He went 3-3 with a 2.17 ERA and 89 strikeouts and 66 1/3 innings, making his first All-Star team.
Hoffman—who Toronto traded for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki way back in 2015—has also spent time with the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds in his nine-year career.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blue Jays Sign All-Star Reliever Jeff Hoffman Shortly After Orioles Nix Deal.
