3 horrible Jeff Hoffman landing spots that would haunt the Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen may look different once spring training commences in February 2025. In addition to their offense, the bullpen's erratic performance contributed to their defeat in four games to the New York Mets in the NLDS.

Reliever Jeff Hoffman is one of the Phillies' free agents this winter. He had a solid regular season with a 2.17 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 68 appearances. The right-hander also totaled 10 saves out of 13 opportunities. He earned a selection to the 2024 All-Star Game in July.

After his excellent performance from the end of March through July, Hoffman endured his share of struggles beginning in August. He entered the month with a 0.98 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP for the season. The 31-year-old finished August with a whopping 5.56 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 13 games. Hoffman's season ERA rose to 1.88 and his WHIP increased to 0.98. However, his stats for the month could be viewed as misleading. He surrendered four of his seven earned runs in one contest versus the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 3.

He had a very good month in September aside from one game. During the Sept. 28 contest versus the Washington Nationals, Hoffman allowed four runs in his final appearance of the 2024 regular season.

3 horrible Jeff Hoffman landing spots that would haunt the Phillies

During the NLDS against the Mets, Hoffman allowed six earned runs in three games — three in Game 1 and three during Game 4. He factored into the decision in all of his appearances in the series as he went 1-2. While ending the year on a sour note, he will have his fair share of suitors this winter due to his good season overall.

Let's take a look at three horrible landing spots for Hoffman that will haunt the Phillies.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves, one of the Phillies' competitors in the NL East, could not catch a break with key players suffering injuries. Their top starting pitcher, Spencer Strider, suffered an elbow injury in April. He missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.

Ronald Acuña Jr. has been recovering from a procedure he underwent to repair a torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he suffered on May 26 versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both Strider and he, the Braves' top two players, may or may not be ready to return in time for Opening Day 2025.

Yet for all of the injuries the Braves encountered throughout the year, they still made the postseason as a Wild Card team. Atlanta will be a threat to the Phillies' chances of reaching the World Series next year.

Relievers A.J. Minter, Jesse Chavez and John Brebbia are free agents. Luke Jackson and Aaron Bummer have club options the Braves can elect to pick up or decline this winter. Depending upon the club's approach to how many of these pitchers they will aim to bring back for next year, they could look to free agency to upgrade their bullpen. Hoffman would represent a solid signing for one of the Phillies' division rivals.

Hoffman has proven to be a dependable reliever in a setup role to make way for a club's closer. After coming off of a season in which he made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, the Braves signing him to bolster their bullpen would be a shrewd move for the team. The reliever signing with one of Philadelphia's main competitors in the NL East this offseason would not be good.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have demonstrated they aim to be in the market to acquire talent every offseason. The 2024 World Series champions will aim to make their second consecutive return to the Fall Classic next year with a strong offseason.

Relievers Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly and Daniel Hudson are free agents. The Dodgers have proven this year, particularly during the playoffs, how formidable their bullpen is. They had multiple starting pitchers unavailable to pitch during the postseason. However, the club trusted their relievers to pitch the entirety of one game in each round of the playoffs.

Los Angeles signing Hoffman this winter would further strengthen one of the best bullpens in the majors. According to FanGraphs, Dodgers relievers finished with a 3.53 ERA, which was fourth best. Their 50 saves were good for fifth-best, but they also blew 27 saves which tied with three other organizations for the fourth-most in the league.

The Dodgers bullpen totaled 626 strikeouts, eighth-most in the majors. Their 648 innings pitched was fifth-best, while their 254 earned runs ranked 13th-fewest. Los Angeles is one of the top destinations for free agents, and they always aim to make their club better each offseason no matter who they have already acquired.

After already having Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on their roster, they signed free agents Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamato to mammoth contracts last offseason. In short, they do not hesitate to improve their franchise. Signing Hoffman this winter would help strengthen their bullpen, depending on who they lose in free agency. Losing one of their top relievers to a World Series contender like the Dodgers would not work in the Phillies' favor.

New York Mets

The Mets exceeded expectations in 2024 as they were not expected to contend for a playoff spot let alone make the NLCS. They will look to put themselves in a position to enter spring training with a roster capable of returning to the postseason this winter.

New York's list of free agent bullpen pitchers includes Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley, Drew Smith, Ryne Stanek and Shintaro Fujinami. Phil Maton has a club option that the Mets may or may not choose to pick up.

NJ.com's Manny Gómez predicts one of the five free agents the Mets will sign this offseason is Hoffman. Gómez believes New York and the reliever will come to an agreement on a two-year, $12.5 million deal.

Hoffman would presumably fit in well in the setup role to Mets closer Edwin Díaz if he signs with New York. Having a reliable reliever to use late in games before a closer would put the franchise in a good position in the long term over a six-month regular season. The 31-year-old right-hander is coming off the two most successful seasons of his nine-year career.

Losing Hoffman to another division rival such as the Mets would not be what the Phillies prefer if they do not re-sign him. Philadelphia starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is one of several players to have spent their playing years with both New York and Philly over the course of their respective careers. Time will tell if the reliever becomes another player to play for both franchises.

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