Elite Philadelphia Phillies Reliever Linked to His Former Team in Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies will have competition for their right-handed reliever in the offseason.

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies were always going to have to think about their offseason plans, but the hope was they wouldn't have to as soon as they now do. While the free agency period isn't open yet, they'll soon face the reality of making tough decisions. 

There might not be any bigger than what they do with their two dominant relief pitchers in Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman. When thinking about the Phillies winter, those will continue to be the two biggest questions surrounding the ball club.

For a team that already didn't complete their goal of winning a World Series, losing two of their top three bullpen arms would be a major concern. 

For Hoffman, especially, there are several reasons to keep him around.

He wasn't great in the postseason, but if everyone wants to be honest, there weren't many players on the roster who did what they needed to do.

Still, allowing six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched was an issue, despite it being fair to suggest that Rob Thompson should've taken him out of the game much earlier than he did. 

Nonetheless, the right-hander will hit free agency this winter, and it's possible he won't return to Philadelphia. 

If he doesn't, many contending and up-and-coming teams will be interested in adding a reliever who posted a 2.17 ERA in the regular season. 

Of those teams could be his former ball club, the Cincinnati Reds. 

Zach Pressnell of FanSided linked the two on Friday, making valid points about why the Reds could use him. 

"The Cincinnati bullpen wasn't a weakness in 2024, but it certainly wasn't as good as it could have been. It doesn't have the same feel or ability as a bullpen like the Guardians or the Padres. Cincinnati needs to add to the backend of their bullpen if they want to have a real shot at winning the division. This could start by bringing an old friend back to the Queen City. Jeff Hoffman would be the perfect addition to the Reds bullpen in 2025, slotting in as their setup guy for Alexis Diaz."

In general, Cincinnati is a team to watch out for moving forward. They've already hired Terry Francona as their new head coach, which indicated to the rest of the National League that they want to compete next year.

Hoffman could be interested in playing for a team that needs him, and if this comes down to money, the Phillies might have to spend elsewhere to improve other areas, leaving the possibility of him departing.