Sep 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) reacts after pitching out of the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Thursday ($) that MLB teams are more interested in free agent pitcher Jeff Hoffman as a starter than a reliever.
In an assessment of the "middle-tier starting pitching" free agent market, Passan wrote the following:
"A surprise entrant in this category: 31-year-old right-hander Jeff Hoffman, who was an All-Star reliever for the Phillies this year but has been open to starting and has received more interest from teams in that role, similar to Clay Holmes with the Mets this year and Jordan Hicks with the Giants last year."
While it was known that teams are looking at Hoffman as a potential starting pitcher, it's somewhat surprising that teams are more interested in Hoffman in that role than they are in a relief role. Hoffman excelled as a reliever for the Phillies in 2022 and 2023, but has a 5.64 ERA in 50 career major league starts.
The Phils' odds of bringing Hoffman back already seemed slim, given that the team signed Jordan Romano to be a high-leverage righthander in the bullpen (Hoffman's old role).
And while the Phillies have been linked to a few potential starting pitchers this offseason, there has been no indication that they are interested in converting Hoffman into a starter.
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