Jeff Hoffman's interview after clinching ALCS will only make Phillies fans sadder

Former Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman's interview after the Toronto Blue Jays clinched the ALCS will only make Phillies fans sadder that he is no longer with the organization. The reliever played a key part during the Blue Jays' last two wins versus the Seattle Mariners in the Championship Series.

Hoffman was understandably emotional following Toronto's Game 7 victory versus Seattle on Monday.

"I think 12-year-old me would probably be s------- his pants right now," Hoffman said in the clubhouse when speaking about what making the World Series felt like for him as a member of the team that drafted him. "It's just something that you always want to get to as a baseball player, and to do it with a group of guys you enjoy as much as we enjoy each other, it's amazing, and I don't want this season to end; I know none of these guys do either, and we're doing whatever it takes finding a way to get there."

Jeff Hoffman's passionate words, and his tattoo, make the sting of losing him feel even worse for Phillies fans

Making things worse for Phillies fans, in the video, Hoffman's Phillies-inspired "Phah" tattoo on his left shoulder is visible. He was emotional following Philadelphia's elimination by the New York Mets in the 2024 NLDS and expressed a desire to re-sign with the Phillies. However, they weren't able to re-sign him last winter.

The Blue Jays drafted Hoffman with the ninth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Toronto traded him in at the trade deadline in July 2015 to the Colorado Rockies in a multi-player deal involving the Blue Jays acquiring All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Hoffman signed a three-year, $33 million contract back in January in free agency after pitching for the Phillies over the previous two years.

While acquiring Jhoan Duran at this year's trade deadline was a solid addition for the Phillies, losing both Hoffman and Carlos Estévez hurt their bullpen. This year, Estévez led MLB with 42 saves while Hoffman finished fourth with 33.

Looking at how Jordan Romano's season transpired, the decision not to bring Hoffman back looks even worse now for the Phillies. The organization counted on Romano to take over the high-leverage role that Hoffman had with the team in 2023 and 2024.

Hoffman had a rocky season at times with the Blue Jays in his first year as a closer, based on his 4.37 ERA. However, he was solid overall. After struggling in May and having an up-and-down July and August, the Latham, New York native only allowed one earned run in 11 September appearances to finish with a 0.84 ERA for the month.

He entered the playoffs, pitching well at the right time. Hoffman shut down the Mariners' offense in the eighth and ninth innings of Game 6, striking out some of Seattle's best hitters, including Cal Raleigh, Jorge Polanco, Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suárez. In Game 7, he struck out the three hitters he faced to secure the Blue Jays' 4-3 victory and their first World Series appearance since 1993, when they beat the Phillies in six games.

While baseball is a business, the Phillies should be kicking themselves for not re-signing Hoffman. Manager Rob Thomson may not have used him exclusively in the closer's role, but his loss hurt more than the team and some fans may think. If the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic, Hoffman's loss in free agency last offseason will still sting for Phillies fans because he was hoping to win a championship with Philadelphia.