The Braves have yet to sign a player to a guaranteed major-league contract this offseason, and this latest nugget from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman is not going to make anyone feel better.
According to Bowman, the Braves had a deal in place with star reliever Jeff Hoffman. However, it fell through after a failed physical, and he wound up signing with the Blue Jays for $33 million guaranteed over three years.
Hoffman had a deal in place with the Orioles that fell through because of a failed physical as well, so it appears as if the Braves might have dodged a bullet. The nine-year MLB veteran hadn’t done much throughout his entire career until a couple of years ago, when he all of a sudden turned into one of the most dominant relievers on the planet. Dating back to the start of the 2023 season, Hoffman has recorded a 2.28 ERA and 2.54 FIP over 118.2 innings.
Adding him to the backend of the bullpen would have bolstered a unit that could be without some huge pieces from 2024. Joe Jimenez underwent knee surgery earlier in the offseason and could miss the entire season, while A.J. Minter is still a free agent. The Braves are reportedly interested in bringing Minter back, but several other clubs have shown interest in the hard-throwing southpaw.
Jeff Hoffman also hinted before he signed that he’d love to try his hand as a starting pitcher again, much like Reynaldo Lopez did this past season, which turned out to be one of the best free agent acquisitions of the entire offseason last year.
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Photographer: Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire
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