Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Predicted To Sign With Cubs for $33 Million

The Philadelphia Phillies would have to replace the right-hander if he departs in free agency, which seems likely.

Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the ninth inning during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The expectation around Major League Baseball is for Jeff Hoffman to be on a new team next season, leaving another hole on the Philadelphia Phillies roster.

The Phillies signed Jordan Romano, and if the right-hander is healthy and at his best, he has a chance to be the team's closer in 2025.

As currently constructed, it'd make sense if he gets the ball late in games.

But, losing Hoffman could become an issue.

It's fair to mention he had a rough second half for his standards and didn't perform well in the playoffs, but his year-long production was still very impressive, posting a 2.17 ERA.

This isn't somebody Philadelphia can lose and still feel confident about their bullpen heading into the next campaign. If the front office doesn't find another relief arm, one could make a strong argument that this unit won't be as good as it was last year.

Hoffman's free agency case is a bit interesting.

Reports have indicated he wants to be a starter, which could raise his value. It could also mean that the Phillies have no reason to re-sign him, unless he'd be willing to return as a bullpen arm.

A few clubs could be interested in giving him a starting role, even if it's for a few starts to see how he manages things.

Among those teams could be the Chicago Cubs, an organization looking to become contenders after making a few impressive moves in the early stages of the offseason.

Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball likes the fit, predicting the Cubs will sign the New York native to a three-year, $33 million deal.

"Predicting contracts for relievers is typically a fool’s errand, as years and AAV can vary wildly. Jeff Hoffman is coming off a fantastic last few seasons with the Phillies, where he has pitched to a 2.28 ERA over 122 appearances ... Since our original prediction on Hoffman, it has been reported that he is being shopped as a potential starter, as teams may consider stretching him out, just like the Mets are planning to do with recently signed Clay Holmes ... When it comes to the team prediction, we will stick with the Cubs," Finkelstein wrote.

Hoffman could view Chicago as the ideal place to play from his standpoint.

Not only would he have an opportunity to potentially work out of their rotation, but if things don't go as planned, the Cubs could use him as a reliever immediately.