Blue Jays Have Closer Problem With Solution Already in Bullpen
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Jeff Hoffman was credited with a hold last night in the Blue Jays. He should get more opportunities going forward.
He should not get another save opportunity anytime soon.
After striking out Zach Neto to lead off the ninth, the rest of Hoffman's outing went single to Mike Trout, consecutive hit by pitches on Jo Adell and Jorge Soler, and a single to Yoan Moncada.
The only good news is Hoffman kept the ball in the ballpark, something he did not do on Saturday when he gave up a game-deciding grand slam to Corbin Carroll.
John Schneider took the ball from Hoffman and gave it to Louis Varland. One pitch and a Clement to Gimenez to Guerrero Jr. double play, later, Toronto was celebrating a much-needed 4-2 win over Los Angeles.
John Schneider has been loyal to Jeff Hoffman. Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Schneider said after the loss on Saturday, "There may be people that don't want to hear this, but I've got a lot of trust and confidence in Jeff Hoffman, and I've said that for as long as he's been here."
But there is a thin line between loyal and stubborn. And giving Hoffman the ball in the ninth anytime soon would cross that line.
Hoffman’s Struggles in 2026
Yes, Hoffman has a Mason Miller-esque 20.25 K/9. Yes, he has been unlucky too, based on the .609 BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) against him, which is more than double his career .303 mark.
But he has also walked six batters in 10.2 innings (two intentional), hit two batters, and given up two home runs. He has blown three of six save opportunities after blowing only seven last year to lead American League closers.
He also may still be feeling the aftershock of blowing the save in Game Seven of the World Series. When asked after the game how he was feeling, Hoffman did not hold back his emotions, "I cost every guy in here a World Series ring. So it's pretty sh***y." That will leave a mark.
Hoffman has been successful in a setup role before, notching 21 holds and making the All-Star team with the Phillies in 2024.
So if Hoffman is removed from the closer role, who takes it? There are two logical candidates - Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland. Normally, the 8th inning guy, Rogers, graduates to closer when the 9th inning guy is removed from the role. In the case of the Blue Jays, though, there are four reasons Schneider should go with Varland.
4 Reasons Varland Should Close
- Rogers in the 8th is working, and there are enough things to fix already. Rogers has been in a setup role most of his career and is once again thriving with a 0.73 ERA, four holds, and a .97 WHIP. If you move Rogers to the 9th, there is a domino effect on the bullpen.
- Varland is on fire so far this year. He has struck out 41% of batters faced so far this year, putting him in the 99th percentile among MLB pitchers, and has yet to allow a barrel.
- Varland has closer stuff, and Rogers does not. Varland has 19 strikeouts in 13 innings. In 12 IP, Rogers has 5 K's. Varland's four-seam fastball sits in the high 90's and touched triple digits in the 2025 playoffs. He has a vicious knuckle curve in the high 80's and a changeup in the low 90s.
- Louie Louie would make for a great closer entrance song. Toronto needs a spark. Sometimes a closer entrance song can do that - think Timmy Trumpet with Narco for Edwin Diaz, or the Dropkick Murphys Shipping up to Boston for Jonathan Papelbon back in the day.
Varland would not be the first closer to have taken a circuitous path to the role. A failed starter for his hometown Twins in 2024 (0-5, 6.40 ERA, 1.70 WHIP), Varland fared better out of the bullpen in 2025, capping it off with a strong postseason in which he made an MLB record 15 appearances.
Every day, Louie Varland was a critical playoff fireman out of Toronto's pen, and he has only gotten nastier this season.
Statistical Comparison of Potential Closers
Pitcher | Varland | Rogers | Hoffman |
|---|---|---|---|
ERA | 0.00 | 0.73 | 7.59 |
WHIP | .85 | .97 | 2.06 |
HR/9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.69 |
K% | 41.3% | 10.0% | 42.1% |
BB% | 6.5% | 8.0% | 10.5% |
Varland has the stuff and the poise to close. The Blue Jays need a resurgent Jeff Hoffman, and the 42% strikeout percentage shows he has the stuff to be a major contributor in the right role. Schneider may need to put him in a few low-leverage situations to regain some confidence, with the goal of the seventh inning belonging to Jeff Hoffman.
A seventh-eight-ninth inning bridge of Hoffman to Rogers to Varland gives Toronto the best chance to win. Schneider's loyalty to Holffman is part of what makes him a successful manager. But now he needs to do what is best for the entire team and make Varland the closer.
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