“The Phillies would love to bring Jeff Hoffman back”

The Philadelphia Phillies are seeing their window to the World Series close due to the age of their star players.

Note: I'm not saying it's closed. I'm saying it's clear that it won't necessarily last forever with the current roster.

Since Dave Dombrowski is a general manager who likes to make moves, we clearly expect the Phillies to be active in the market to bring in reinforcements.

That's to be expected.

If there's one area of the team that needs improvement, it's the bullpen. That's even more true now that Brad Keller has gone down with an injury.

According to Bob Nightengale's report, the Phillies would love to bring Jeff Hoffman back to Philadelphia for the rest of the season.

As you may recall, Hoffman pitched there in 2023 and 2024. He was excellent, and that's what allowed him to sign a $33 million contract with Toronto.

He wasn't necessarily a closer in Philadelphia, but with Johan Duran on the roster, Don Mattingly's team (and Mattingly happens to know Hoffman personally) doesn't need a No. 1 reliever.

In Toronto, Hoffman has been a disappointment for about 12 months. Fans would be more than happy to see the pitcher leave the City of Kings, let's be clear.

And sports fans in Philadelphia are riding high on the LeBron James high: they won't complain if Hoffman's salary ends up in town.

In an environment different from Toronto's, is it possible to believe that the pitcher could regain the form he showed in 2024 and early 2025? It's a valid question.

It's also worth noting that Bob Nightengale has linked Daulton Varsho to the Phillies as a loan player to shore up the defense in center field.

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