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At long last, Jeff Hoffman is finally joining the Minnesota Twins as they make a push for their first postseason appearance since 2023.
The Twins agreed to acquire the late-innings reliever from the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, a league source who spoke candidly to describe a deal that has not been announced told The Athletic.
In exchange, the Blue Jays received pitchers Dasan Hill and John Klein, and minor league infielder-outfielder Dameury Pena. The Jays will also receive some international bonus pool cash.
The Twins are taking on the remainder of Hoffman’s 2026 salary, but Blue Jays will pay a portion of it in 2027.
The Twins originally signed Hoffman to a minor-league deal in 2023 before his first breakout season as a reliever. But the club optioned him to the minor leagues during spring training and he triggered an opt-out clause in his deal to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hoffman will forever be attached to a misplaced slider in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That Miguel Rojas homer and blown save won’t ever evaporate from his resume. Still, the 33-year-old right-hander has proven to be a capable, and at times dominant, late-innings reliever.
After two years and 158 strikeouts with the Phillies, Hoffman landed a three-year deal with the Jays to become Toronto’s new closer. He saved 33 games in 2025 and finished more contests than any other reliever, though a home-run problem lingered throughout the year. After a disastrous start to his 2026 season, Hoffman was replaced in the ninth by Louis Varland.
After Hoffman lost his closing job with the Jays, he started to turn his season around. In June, he allowed just one earned run, posting a 0.75 ERA pitching mainly in the seventh and eighth innings. Hoffman seems to have found a home outside of the ninth. He may frustrate fans at times, but he possesses enough swing-and-miss stuff to bolster any bullpen.
This story will be updated.
