In not much longer than it takes for a fastball to go from mound to plate, Jeff Hoffman seemed to go from star closer of the Blue Jays future to damaged goods.
In a whirlwind of noisy five days since the Jays signed the right-hander to a three-year, $33-million US contract, the narrative has taken on a life of its own.
Shortly after the signing, word leaked out that the Baltimore Orioles — notoriously a team that frets about a pimple on a player during physicals — had backed out of a deal with Hoffman because of medical concerns.
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Then on Monday came the next aspersion on the Jays signing when it was revealed by Atlanta reporter Mark Bowman that the Braves had backed out of a deal with similar concerns.
The Jays saw the same images and didn’t have a problem. And Hoffman sure doesn’t either, as we learned on Wednesday when he poured heaps of cold water on those health concerns while meeting the Toronto media for the first time via a video press conference.
In fact, a clearly defiant Hoffman said he’ll use those slights as further motivation as he bids to be the ace of the rebuilding Blue Jays bullpen.
“All the flags, the physical stuff was as big a surprise to me as anybody,” Hoffman said. “You can check my track record over the last few years — I’ve been as healthy as anybody. It’s a non-issue for me. The Blue Jays see me for what I am and I’d rather be in a place like that anyways.”
When asked if he might have a little more oomph in his effort when the division-rival Orioles are the opponent in 2025, Hoffman didn’t hesitate to bring the heat.
“We can add them to the list,” the Latham N.Y., native said. “That’s definitely something I enjoy, finding those edges. Obviously when you go through something like this, there’s going to be a little bit of a chip that comes with it.”
To his credit, Hoffman didn’t back down from the medical issue, attacking it head-on just as he did to opposing hitters as a key reliever in the Phillies bullpen last season. He explained that all three teams — the Orioles, Braves and Jays — conducted in-person physicals and that the concerns from the two teams that backed out were from what they saw on the images.
The Jays, who had been involved in pursuing Hoffman since the start of free agency, took it a step further, as the veteran righty detailed.
“The in-person physicals with both teams … stuff they saw in the MRI (were the concern),” Hoffman said of the Orioles and Braves. “Whatever they saw (and) their team docs were saying was not any bit in line with the way I feel and not something I’m concerned about. I feel great.”
Hoffman said the Jays medical vetting focused on much more beyond the MRI results, which ultimately swayed them to locking up one of the top relievers on the market this off-season.
“When the (Jays) docs had their hands on me for the actual exam, there was nothing to worry about,” Hoffman said. “My body’s moving great. Range of motion and everything is normal for me. It’s as it would be mid-season. I think (the Jays) are not as concerned about what the image shows, but more concerned about how the player feels.”
Sounds like reliever relief all around for the portion of the Jays fan base up in arms about other teams passing on a player who is essentially being handed the job to replace closer Jordan Romano, who ironically landed with Hoffman’s old team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
“It’s been a little chaotic with all the reports … it’s not stuff we agreed with going through the process,” Hoffman said. “But teams have their ways of looking through physicals and stuff like that and at the end of the day the ball is in their court.
“We are excited Toronto was in it from the beginning and kept in touch throughout the process — having that possibility always in there was exciting for us.”
Hoffman has wasted little time immersing himself in the Jays world. He already has met with pitching coach Pete Walker, who gave him a tour of the Rogers Centre this past weekend. The deal with the Jays is a reunion of sorts for Hoffman, a first-round pick by Toronto (ninth overall) in the 2014 draft.
While he doesn’t expect the closer title to be handed to him, it’s clear that winning that assignment is what the he expects of himself.
“I’m absolutely looking forward to it,” Hoffman said. “I was itching to have that opportunity in previous seasons. To know I have that opportunity is a driving force in my mentality.
“It’s what I feel I’m meant to do. I come into the game and find comfort in the chaos.”
And after a chaotic first week to his Blue Jays return, Hoffman sounds as though he’s up for all of it.