Blue Jays Trade Jeff Hoffman To AL Team
Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Minnesota Twins are acquiring right-hander Jeff Hoffman in a trade with Toronto.
Per Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the deal is finalized, with Minnesota sending three minor leaguers back to Toronto. The return is left-hander Dasan Hill, right-hander John Klein, and infielder Dameury Pena.
A Complicated Toronto Tenure
Hoffman signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2025 season after a dominant 2024 campaign with the Phillies that earned him his first career All-Star selection.
His time in Toronto will be remembered for one specific moment, unfortunately. Hoffman was the Blue Jays' closer during their run to the 2025 World Series, but he allowed a game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, a collapse that has followed him ever since.
This season brought more turbulence. Hoffman opened the year as Toronto's closer but posted a 7.59 ERA across 12 appearances in that role before manager John Schneider demoted him. Ironically, his replacement was Louis Varland, who came over from Minnesota at last year's trade deadline.
The Bounce-Back
Since losing the ninth inning, Hoffman has been excellent.
He carries a 3.34 ERA over his past 34 appearances and has allowed runs in just eight of those outings, a significant turnaround after his early-season struggles. For the full 2026 season, he sits at 6-7 with a 3.94 ERA and 75 strikeouts across 51 appearances.
The 33-year-old right-hander was Toronto's ninth overall pick back in the 2014 draft before being dealt to Colorado the following summer, giving this trade a bit of symmetry as he now heads to a new organization once again.
Why Minnesota Made The Move
The Twins are looking to bolster their bullpen for a playoff push over the season's final two months, and Hoffman gives them a veteran arm with high-leverage experience, even with the World Series blemish attached.
The move should provide Minnesota's relief corps a boost as the team tries to hold on in a competitive Wild Card race.
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