January 15. 2025

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Author Stephen King said it best: “Sooner or later, everything old is new again.”

Recently signed reliever Jeff Hoffman will certainly be feeling that way as he walks into the Toronto Blue Jays’ spring training facility when pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 13.

Hoffman, the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in the 2014 draft out of East Carolina, will arrive in Dunedin as a veteran reliever coming off his two most impressive statistical seasons, a far cry from the high upside unproven professional who debuted with the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2015.

The year he was drafted, Casey Janssen, Aaron Loup and Brett Cecil anchored the bullpen, with Janssen being the man to get the ball in the ninth en route to locking down 25 saves for a team that finished 83-79.

A year later, he was shipped to Colorado for Troy Tulowitzki in one of the most significant swaps in franchise history.

This time around, it’ll be Hoffman given the opportunity to pitch with the game on the line.

The Blue Jays inked the 6-foot-5, 235-pound right-hander to a three-year, $33 million deal last week as they continued to retool an ailing bullpen from a season ago.

On Wednesday, Hoffman spoke with members of the media about the free agent process, his two flagged physicals and the decision to sign back with the team that drafted him.

“I’ve never gone through anything like that before,” Hoffman said of free agency.

“It was cool to hear from different teams and get to hear what everyone had to offer. It was fun.”

Cool and fun? Sure.

Smooth? Not so much.

Reports began to surface after Hoffman’s multi-year deal with the Blue Jays was announced that he was in the process of negotiating two deals previously, with the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles, only to have his physicals flagged.

To Hoffman, and ultimately the Blue Jays, the issues identified through his MRI were nothing to be concerned about.

“Teams have their ways of looking at physicals,” he said.

“I feel great. All the flags were as big a surprise to me as anybody. It’s a non-issue for me.”

He went on to say his offseason has been the same as any other.

When asked by Exit Philosophy’s Richard Griffin if he’ll have extra motivation when facing AL East rival Baltimore, Hoffman didn’t shy away.

“We can add them to the list for sure,” he said.

“When you go through something like this, there’s a chip that comes with it.”

While his teammates will be relative unknowns to begin his second stint with the franchise, aside from fellow reliever Ryan Burr who he spent part of spring training with in 2024 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, one familiar face will be pivotal to his performance; pitching coach Pete Walker.

Walker assumed the position in 2012, two years prior to the team drafting Hoffman, and has often been cited as a critical piece of their pitching puzzle.

Being reunited with Walker has Hoffman looking forward to what’s to come.

“I met Pete way back when I was drafted and I got to take the stadium tour with him a couple days ago,” he said.

“I think the thing I’m most excited to work with him about is he seems like he wants us to be our own person and dictate what we do and how we go about our business. That’s a big, big part in today’s game with so many different guys, backgrounds, training styles and throwing programs.”

Regardless of his contract, Hoffman is committed to winning the closer’s job based solely on performance.

“I think it’s definitely something that needs to be earned,” he said of the role.

“I don’t think it’s something that should just be handed out for fun. That’s a big, important job.”