The Philadelphia Phillies entered the offseason with some roster holes to fill, with two of the team's high-leverage relief arms generating plenty of interest on the free agent market. And while this hot stove period has been slow to develop, the free agent market should start to see plenty of movement with the MLB Winter Meetings set to begin Dec. 9-12 in Dallas, Texas.
The Phillies are no stranger to the rumor mill so far this offseason, with various baseball insiders connecting them to prized free agent outfielder Juan Soto, recently posted Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki, while also being named as being one of the teams to watch in trade discussions with the Chicago White Sox for dynamic left-handed starter Garrett Crochet. While rumors and speculation are a near-constant presence this time of year, the Phillies front office has maintained radio silence regarding the team's offseason pursuits.
That should all soon change. The Phillies will certainly remain attached to the top names on the free agent relief market this winter, but the team hasn't closed the door on possibly reuniting with its own free agents, closer Carlos Estévez and high-leverage reliever Jeff Hoffman. When it comes to the market for Hoffman in particular, a hated NL East rival could be in line to offer the 2024 All-Star a contract he can't refuse this winter.
Would the chance to start be enough for former Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman to join the Braves?
In a recent article from Alex Lord of Atlanta Sports Talk, Lord identifies Hoffman as a free agent pitcher the Braves could have interest in possibly signing this offseason. Instead of coming out of the bullpen to get big outs or lock down a save, Lord views Hoffman as a pitcher who could make a transition back to starting ball games next season. He offers the recent transition of former reliever-turned All-Star starting pitcher Reynaldo López as a template for what the Braves could attempt if they sign Hoffman this offseason.
"Before catching on with the Phillies, Hoffman had done practically nothing in the majors, accumulating 0.9 WAR in his career," wrote Lord. "Then, he went on a two-year tear in Philly, posting a 3.5 WAR over that span. He’s actually taken a similar career path as Reynaldo Lopez. After being drafted by the Blue Jays a decade ago, he was traded to the Rockies, where he made his big league debut in 2016."
Lord was quick to point out the similar career paths taken by López and Hoffman, but the wider idea would have to carry weight with Hoffman himself. According to his recent comments in a story by ESPN baseball insider Kiley McDaniel, Hoffman is open to the idea of converting back to being a starting pitcher once again under the right circumstances.
"I think I would be a great starter if given that opportunity again," Hoffman said, per McDaniel. "It was cool seeing what (Reynaldo Lopez and Jordan Hicks) did last year and, for me with how healthy I am and what I've done the last few years with my arsenal, it's an interesting thought. ... It makes sense that guys with deeper arsenals than most relievers have found success."
It's clear that Hoffman is open to a return to being a starter. Unless the Phillies are willing to offer him more than the relief role he has held with the team over the last two seasons, it's possible a second chance at pitching every fifth day could be a major influence on Hoffman's free agent plans this offseason.
After the results of last season, getting experimental with Hoffman's role in 2025 is probably not the best plan of attack for a Phillies team trying to extend its competitive window and win a World Series with its rapidly aging veteran core.