Weighing Pros, Cons For Washington Nationals Signing Free-Agent Jeff Hoffman

Here are some pros and cons for the Washington Nationals if they sign Jeff Hoffman to help bolster their bullpen.

Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) pitches in the ninth inning against the New York Mets during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals are heading into the Winter Meetings with some holes to fill before the start of the 2025 campaign. 

It was a step in the right direction for the Nationals in 2024. Despite winning just 71 games for the second year in a row, Washington was able to see a lot of their young players come up and make an impact in the major leagues. 

There has been a lot of losing in recent years for the Nationals, but it feels like they could burst out of the rebuild soon. This offseason will play a massive part in how quickly they hopefully are going to become a contender once again. 

Not too long ago, Washington did make the surprising decision to non-tender their All-Star closer from last season in Kyle Finnegan. Since the right-hander was set to make a good amount of money and perhaps due to his bad second half of the season, the Nationals obviously felt like the right move was to let him go. 

With a need at the back end of the bullpen now, one option who could make sense is Jeff Hoffman. Here are some pros and cons for Washington about the veteran right-hander. 

Pros

After being a starter and reliever to begin his career, Hoffman really found his groove strictly out of the bullpen the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. In two seasons out of the bullpen for the Phillies, the right-hander totaled an 8-5 record, 2.28 ERA, 2.54 FIP, and 11 saves. The 31-year-old was named to his first All-Star team in 2024, and he was certainly deserving of the nomination.

With an ERA in the 2.00s for the last two seasons and the ability to close games, Hoffman could be an excellent replacement for Finnegan at the back end of the bullpen. 

Cons 

While the right-hander had two excellent regular seasons for Philadelphia, he didn’t do as well in the postseason, especially in 2024. Last season, Hoffman was a big part of a bullpen that imploded against the New York Mets. In three appearances, the 31-year-old allowed six earned runs in just 1.1 innings pitched. 

Being able to perform in the postseason is critical for a reliever, and while the Nationals might not be ready to contend and play postseason baseball in 2025, that is the goal in the near future. 

For a pitcher that could be signed for double-digit millions of dollars, the struggles in the postseason are a tad concerning. In addition to his postseason woes, he will be 332 years old when he starts next season, as there is a chance by the time Washington is ready to compete, he would be on the back-end of what will surely be a lucrative contract.