Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Predicted To Sign With NL East Rival in Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies All-Star could impact them if he landed with the division rival.

Aug 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) snaps his fingers in reaction to the final out in a victory against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

From a roster standpoint, the Philadelphia Phillies have already replaced Jeff Hoffman.

They added Jordan Romano to close games, and while that was a risky decision due to his injury history, all the Phillies can hope for is it works out. 

Hoffman, surprisingly, remains available.

It's uncertain if that's because he's looking to become a starting pitcher again, but whatever the reason might be, Philadelphia's All-Star doesn't have a new home just yet. 

The reliever market hasn't started to heat up yet.

There are still multiple pitchers unsigned, with Hoffman being one of the better options. However, until Tanner Scott and others find a home, he might have to wait.

Free agency should start to get going again soon as Spring Training gets closer.

Where Hoffman will land is still uncertain, but Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes he could be headed to the Phillies' division rivals.

Making predictions for the top remaining players on the market, Bowden predicted Hoffman would sign with the Washington Nationals. 

"A return to Philly would probably be best for Hoffman, but he would not get a chance to start with them. The Braves, Red Sox, Rays, Royals, Tigers, Astros and Nationals would all be solid landing spots."

The Nationals are a sneaky team to watch out for in the future, and while adding Hoffman doesn't necessarily make them World Series contenders, they could be a frustrating team to play in 2025 and beyond.

They have a surplus of young talent, and with the hope of those players eventually becoming proven big league talents, adding a veteran like Hoffman could go a long way for them.

The Phillies would certainly love to have him back if he could be had for a cheap price, however, that doesn't seem to be the case.

All they can hope for is that he signs with a team in the American League and doesn't impact them, whether in the regular season or playoffs.

Signing with Washington would be the opposite of that.