Key Philadelphia Phillies Bullpen Arm Greatly Improving Free Agency Stock

A key Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher has greatly improved his stock for free agency with his performance in 2024.

Jul 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) celebrates final out against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Not a lot has been going right for the Philadelphia Phillies over the last few weeks. At one point they looked to be running away with the National League East, but they have come back to pack after some truly underwhelming performances on the field.

The Phillies are still in the driver’s seat, as they won the best record in the NL at 69-48 heading into play on Sunday. But, outside of a Kyle Schwarber power display against the Los Angeles Dodgers, this team has struggled to string together victories.

Even All-Star relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman has not been immune to struggles recently. He gave up four runs against the Seattle Mariners last week that ballooned his ERA.

He has struggled to re-find his groove, giving up earned runs in three out of his last four appearances. Philadelphia is certainly hoping that is a blip on the radar, as he has been dominant during the 2024 season.

Despite the recent slip-up, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes that Hoffman is one of the impending free agents who has improved his stock the most during the 2024 season. It would be hard to argue against that.

In the first half, Hoffman recorded an ERA of 1.12 in 41 appearances and 40.1 innings pitched. Only eight runs, five of which were earned, were scored against him as he had a WHIP of 0.893. With 52 strikeouts, he was blowing away the competition with ease.

This turnaround with the Phillies is something not many people likely saw coming. He struggled over the first seven seasons of his career, but they could not have come in worse conditions.

Hoffman began his career pitching with the Colorado Rockies. Their home at Coors Field has historically been horrible for pitchers to perform at because of the hitter’s haven it is with high elevation.

From there, he landed with the Cincinnati Reds, who play in another bandbox of a home stadium at Great American Ballpark. Getting away from those homefields has certainly played a part in him turning things around, as the talent was always there.

Now, Miller believes that Hoffman is in a position to strike gold in free agency. He compared the veteran’s situation to that of Robert Stephenson, who were traded for each other in 2020 and had a similar career path in tough pitching environments.

“In just under 300 career innings for Cincinnati/Colorado, Stephenson had an ERA of 4.97. After finally breaking free of those shackles, he had a 3.15 ERA and averaged 13 K/9 in 65.2 IP between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, resulting in a three-year, $33M deal with the Angels last winter.

Hoffman has been even better than Stephenson was, though, so the reliever who will turn 32 in January might be headed for something even more lucrative,” Miller wrote.

It will be interesting to see what kind of money Hoffman can make on the open market. Teams are always looking for bullpen help and are willing to pay a premium to acquire some. The Phillies could find themselves in a bidding war for his services.