Free Agent Reliever Jeff Hoffman Reportedly Drawing Interest as Starting Pitcher

Jeff Hoffman was an All-Star setup man for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, but a recent ESPN report suggests that some clubs are considering adding him as a starter.

Jun 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Fresh off his first career All-Star campaign, Jeff Hoffman is one of the top relief pitchers on the market.

Only he may not be a reliever for long.

ESPN MLB insider Kiley McDaniel compiled a list of the top 50 free agents this offseason, and he had Hoffman ranked No. 22. In his analysis of Hoffman's market, however, McDaniel mentioned that there is buzz around the industry that some teams may consider signing the 31-year-old righty as a starting pitcher.

That would slot Hoffman into the role that Reynaldo López and Jordan Hicks filled last winter. The Atlanta Braves' gamble on López paid off big time, while the San Francisco Giants' experiment with Hicks was abandoned midseason.

McDaniel projected Hoffman to earn a three-year $48 million contract on the open market. That is considerably above the three-year, $30 million deal that López landed last winter, as well as Hicks' four-year, $44 million contract.

MLB Trade Rumors, who had Hoffman ranked as the No. 18 free agent in this year's class, predicted that he would net a four-year, $44 million deal. Spotrac has his market value at just $12.4 million over two years.

Hoffman has experience as a starter, primarily during his early days with the Colorado Rockies. Between 2016 and 2019, 38 of Hoffman's 52 appearances came as a starter.

The Cincinnati Reds brought him into their rotation in 2021, but they moved him to the bullpen after 11 starts. He found success as a reliever down the stretch that season, then again in 2022, and he ultimately spun that production into a deal with the Phillies.

Hoffman went 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA, 0.917 WHIP, 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.9 WAR in 2023, before going 3-3 with a 2.17 ERA, 0.965 WHIP, 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.0 WAR in 2024. He converted on 11 of his 15 save opportunities in Philadelphia, all while racking up 32 holds.

If Hoffman stays with the Phillies, he is likely to return to their bullpen. But if he goes elsewhere in free agency, perhaps he will be doing so to chase a larger role.

Hoffman is 11-20 with a 5.64 ERA, 1.548 WHIP and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter in his career. As a reliever, he is 12-6 with a 3.96 ERA, 1.291 WHIP and 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

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