Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jeff Hoffman responded after being asked what he thinks about being stripped from the closer role for his team.
On Friday, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins told reporters that Hoffman will no longer be the Blue Jays’ closer going forward after he struggled through the first month of the season. The Blue Jays will go with a closer-by-committee approach for the foreseeable future, with relievers such as Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, and a few others in the mix to save games for the defending American League champions.
After losing his closing job, Hoffman was asked what he thought about being stripped of closer duties. The veteran reliever took it in stride, saying that he understands the team’s decision.
“It gets to the point where it’s just not cutting it, and it needs to change. We’ve got plenty of guys that can do what I do,” Hoffman said (via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi).
“They’re doing it better than what I’m doing right now, and that gives them the nod to go out there and do it for the group. I’m good for whatever is going to put us in the best position to win as many games as possible.”
Jeff Hoffman’s Numbers in 2026 Have Been Rough
So far in 2026, Hoffman has pitched in 12 games for the Blue Jays, recording a dismal 7.59 ERA while blowing 3 saves and totaling a poor -0.6 bWAR. His 24 strikeouts in 10.2 IP are nice to look at, and some of his advanced statistics point to being unlucky, but overall, the results just haven’t been there for Hoffman.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, the signs of this decline were there for Hoffman in 2025. Last year, Hoffman pitched in 71 games for the Blue Jays and had an elevated 4.37 ERA, while allowing 15 home runs, the second-most home runs allowed by a reliever last season. In Game 7 of the World Series, Hoffman blew the save against the Los Angeles Dodgers, candidly telling reporters after the game that he felt like he cost his team a championship.
Despite the rough year last season, the Blue Jays entered 2026 with Hoffman as the team’s closer. But it simply hasn’t worked out to this point, and that’s why the team will be using other pitchers in the ninth inning going forward.
Jeff Hoffman Hopeful He Can Win Back Closing Role
Although Hoffman has been stripped of his closing duties for now, he is still hopeful that, with some improvements in his performance, he can win back the closer job in the near future.
“I’m going to go about my work the same and continue to try to get better. That’s what I do. That’s what we all do. It’ll be fine. For the time being, somebody will go out there and get the job done for us and then hopefully, if I do what I need to do, it switches back at some point,” Hoffman said.
In the meantime, while Hoffman figures things out in lower-leverage situations, the Blue Jays will turn to Varland and Rogers to close games, potentially alongside other bullpen arms like Yimi Garcia, Braydon Fisher, and Mason Fluharty.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jeff Hoffman Responds After Losing Closer Job for Blue Jays appeared first on Heavy Sports.