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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Although it's rare, free agents sometimes fail one team's physical examination but not another's.
Ex-Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman reportedly failed physicals with two different teams as a free agent this offseason before signing with the Toronto Blue Jays last week.
More news: All-Star Failed Orioles' Physical Before Signing $33 Million Contract With AL East Rival: Report
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Last Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided reported Baltimore "flagged Hoffman's physical — two sources say it was his right shoulder — and ultimately signed right-hander Andrew Kittredge to a one-year, $10 million contract."
On Monday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported the Atlanta Braves had a potential deal that was nixed when Hoffman failed a physical with the Braves' medical staff.
Friday, the Jays announced they signed Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million contract that has the potential to grow to $39 million with incentives.
Perhaps ironically, Hoffman never went on the injured list after signing a minor league contract with the Phillies in March 2023. He was both durable and effective during his two seasons in Philadelphia, going 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 54 games in 2023, and 3-3 with a 2.17 ERA in 68 games last year.
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There is a somewhat complicating factor in the free agency of Hoffman, who began his major league career in Colorado as a starting pitcher before reinventing himself as a reliever in Cincinnati.
More news: All-Star First Baseman to Sign With Braves: Report
Multiple teams were reportedly interested in signing Hoffman as a starting pitcher. A year ago the Braves signed Reynaldo Lopez — who relieved almost exclusively for the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians from 2022-23 — and stuck him in their starting rotation.
Lopez went 8-5 with a stellar 1.99 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) across 135.2 innings. Lopez's success suggests the Braves might have tried to run back the same play with Hoffman, who was 2-6 with a 6.56 ERA for the Rockies in 2019, his last full season in a rotation.
More news: MLB Power Rankings: Top 10 Starting Pitchers
The Blue Jays have no such designs for Hoffman. According to SportsNet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, Hoffman will get the opportunity to close games in Toronto. Even if his $6 million in incentives aren't unlocked, Hoffman's contract represents the largest financial commitment the Blue Jays have made to a relief pitcher under executives Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins.
But it's a step down from the $40 million Baltimore was willing to guarantee Hoffman over the next three years, according to Murray. How much the Braves were willing to offer Hoffman, and whether they were interested in him as a starter or reliever, remains unknown.
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