Why Jeff Hoffman May Not Be Done as the Blue Jays' Closer - Yet
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Jeff Hoffman has been something of a lightning rod for criticism among Toronto Blue Jays fans ever since surrendering the game-tying home run to Miguel Rojas in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (and probably even before that too).
The early returns of Hoffman's 2026 season haven't been any more kind. The 33-year-old has as many blown saves as successful saves (three) thus far, sporting a 7.59 ERA in 12 appearances while allowing nine earned runs, 16 hits and eight walks in 10.2 innings of work. In his past four outings, alone, he's allowed seven earned runs, eight hits and four walks in three innings.
When Louis Varland was forced to step in and stop the bleeding on Tuesday night during what nearly was another blown save from Hoffman, it felt like the symbolic transfer of power from a beleaguered, outgoing closer to a newly anointed one. Fittingly, after Hoffman had given up a run and loaded the bases with only one out, Varland needed just one pitch to yield a double play and lock down his first career save.
Blue Jays May Still Stick With Hoffman in Ninth Inning
As for the symbolic transition, however, not so fast. Blue Jays manager John Schneider has gone so far as to say that the club will "re-evaluate" Hoffman's closer role, but has stopped short of committing to a ninth inning change. Schneider's words don't exactly inspire much confidence that the 2024 All-Star is long for the job, but it's not as simple as slotting in Varland and forging on.
For one thing, Hoffman still isn't having trouble missing bats. He ranks third among all relievers (behind Colorado's Chase Dollander and San Diego's Mason Miller) with 24 strikeouts on the season, averaging a staggering 20.25 strikeouts per nine innings while whiffing 42.1% of batters faced to date.
Unfortunately, when Hoffman allows contact, things have not been going well. So far, he has allowed a massive .609 batting average on balls in play (BABIP). While a 20.25 SO/9 average is likely unsustainable over a full season, so is such a high average on balls put in play.
The biggest reason to resist temptation in pushing ahead with a change in closers, however, is how it could impact the over-all balance of the bullpen. Varland offers situational versatility, having stepped in during the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, across multiple innings, and even in high-leverage with runners on base. That isn't an easy skill set to replace by Hoffman or anyone else.
A change in ninth inning options for Toronto would send ripple effects across the entire bullpen. Can Braydon Fisher be a trusted seventh- or eighth-inning guy for the Blue Jays? Can Tyler Rogers assume a more varied role? Is Spencer Miles ready for high-leverage opportunities? Could Yimi García step back into a late-inning role when he returns from the injured list?
On the surface, swapping out Hoffman for Varland or someone else seems simple enough, but these are all factors that must be taken into consideration for a bullpen move that could also shake up the rest of the relief corps.
Hoffman's struggles have Schneider and the coaching staff paying attention, and maybe a closer change is coming. However, the Blue Jays have plenty of reasons to resist making a move and could offer the veteran reliever a little more runway before a decision is made.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.