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Jeff Hoffman is one of the most sought-after relievers in this offseason’s free agent class after a dominant run with the Philadelphia Phillies, but it took an incredible career turnaround to get him here.

On the eve of the 2023 season, the former No. 9 overall pick failed to make the Minnesota Twins‘ Opening Day roster and became a free agent. He had just 0.9 career WAR at the time — and 0.0 WAR in his previous five seasons. But he caught on with the Phillies on a minor league deal and went on a two-year tear after being added to the major league roster in May 2023, posting 3.5 WAR that ranks fifth in the majors among relievers in that span. Now, he is poised to cash in after rediscovering what made him a high draft pick in the first place.

There are a number of questions as the 31-year-old right-hander prepares for his offseason payday: how he made this turnaround, if he wants to transition back to being a starting pitcher, if the vibes in Philly are strong enough to compel him to return and what his priorities are in finding a new club.

I caught up with Hoffman as he chooses his next home (or decides to stay in his current one).


How Hoffman turned it around

To understand how Hoffman reinvented himself in Philadelphia, you first must understand where things started to go wrong. Hoffman went from a top prospect to a struggling young pitcher with the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds.

After being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2014 draft while recovering from Tommy John surgery, he made 13 minor league starts the next season before being dealt to Colorado in the Troy Tulowitzki trade. Hoffman made the big leagues in 2016 with the Rockies and posted a solid 1.1 WAR campaign in 2017, primarily as a starter (99⅓ innings, 4.76 ERA). After that, though, he was either injured or ineffective, including two seasons with the Reds and a spring training with the Twins. Hoffman doesn’t mince words on what held him back early in his professional career, pointing to the instruction he was given and his attempt to integrate it all.

“I was fed a lot of mechanical bulls— through my early years, coaches trying to make their mark,” Hoffman said. “[Mechanics] was like the ball and chain I was tied down to. If I would have picked and choosed through that stuff, I wouldn’t have ended up wasting a few years early in my career. … I’m a learner, I’m a listener, I took a few too many of the mechanical cues, always trying to please and be respectful of whoever is giving the information.”

Still, Hoffman believes the gradual accumulation of new parts of his game ultimately helped turn him into an All-Star. He just needed to fine-tune what he had picked up along the way and learn to pitch without having too many intrusive thoughts (and outside voices) in his head.

“When I stopped thinking about ‘Where’s my front side?’ or ‘When is my heel on the ground?’ and all that B.S., I was able to improve my command, my velocity got better and I’m not necessarily trying to throw hard now, that’s just how it’s coming out,” he said. “My body is moving the way I want to move.”

The pitch mix that figures to get him an eight-figure contract this winter started with things he implemented during his turbulent times in Colorado and Cincinnati.

“In Colorado, I introduced a splitter. It wasn’t a true splitter, more of a splitter-changeup. It wasn’t coming out as hard, I didn’t throw it as much as I should have,” Hoffman said. “I had always thrown a curveball. I was always attached to it. I didn’t mess with a slider much, then Cincinnati brought a slider to me, trying to get the velo up. I couldn’t get it up to 86-88 miles per hour to match the splitter, I was really fighting with that. … ‘Why can’t I do that if I’m throwing my fastball 95 miles per hour?'”


How Hoffman dominates

Had the Twins taken just a little bit more time to see what they had, perhaps Hoffman’s breakout would have come in Minnesota instead of Philadelphia. He points to that spring with Minnesota as the first time he felt like the same pitcher who had impressed scouts as a draft prospect.

“It was the beginning of my delivery getting back to what it looked like in college. My stuff was coming out better and more explosively, getting ugly swings again, good positive signs.

“If you look at me now vs. Cape Cod and early in my career … I now look a lot more similar to my college career than how I looked in Cincinnati and Colorado. I’ve completely shed some of that early minor league stuff that I was given.”

Hoffman’s stuff was so nasty during his time in the prospect-filled Cape Cod League that watching him pitch there in 2013 remains among the most impressive amateur starts I have scouted.

But there is one area where Hoffman clearly exceeds even that early version of himself. He has the Twins to thank for unlocking the velocity that has made the slider his signature pitch.

“Pete Maki [Twins pitching coach in 2023] said let’s try a cutter. Throw it like a fastball then flick left at the end. It was terrible but it was 89 miles per hour in a bullpen session. ‘Oh s—, that works!’ It was just a chase to repeat the velo, even if I gave up a home run, just throw it 89 miles per hour and call it a slider. Day by day, chasing that … sometimes it just takes a mental cue, and you are behind the ball instead of beside it [at release].”

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and an upper-80s slider and split when he joined the Phillies’ bullpen, Hoffman was ready to be unleashed.

“Fastball, slider, split all feel the same out of my hand, just the grip changes,” Hoffman said. “They all come out like I’m throwing 100 [mph] down the middle and the grip and spins take care of the movement. The force on which fingers is the key.”

He thinks of his arsenal as four fastballs that all move in different directions. “My splitter is no longer [an] off-speed pitch, it’s just a different version of my fastball. My sinker is a bowling ball type fastball, the slider is one that moves left. I view my split as a split-finger fastball and not a forkball, that’s important. … It helps me to have a high velo floor on everything.”

Hoffman had a history of worse-than-average walk rates until landing with the Phillies. That, too, was more of an approach issue than a physical one. “There are command pitchers and stuff pitchers, don’t ask one to be the other.”

“Like in golf, aim for the center so you can miss a bit right or left,” Hoffman said. “I don’t think I’m a command pitcher but I’m not bad at throwing strikes. I’m going to beat you because it’s too hard for the hitter to make the decision.”

You probably don’t expect a late-inning, fire-breathing reliever with swing-and-miss stuff to be that focused on throwing the ball in the strike zone, but it’s key to how Hoffman attacks.

“I think about the hitter being defensive to what I’m doing, not trying to perform the perfect pitch. It’s a game of swing decisions and I want to put pressure on those decisions. I can get swings off the plate because they know I’m challenging them and coming into the zone.”

Hoffman doesn’t look at a ton of dense information after the game, instead he measures himself by three metrics: in-zone miss rate, zone rate, and barrel rate. “I like to keep it 88 miles per hour and lower. If I start giving up 95-plus [mph exit velo batted balls], all it takes is the right trajectory and it could be out of the park. Late in the game, you can’t be giving that up. Starters are told the solo home run won’t kill you. As a reliever, the solo home run kills you.

“What I’ve taken from all the stats, video, study, and Edgertronic video is that the way the ball comes out of your hand helps you really understand why the pitches move the way they do. It makes it easier to make adjustments and it’s a game of adjustments. You don’t necessarily have your best stuff every night but need to make it work.”


Starter or reliever?

While Hoffman ranks near the top of the list of relievers in this winter’s class, there is growing industry chatter that teams are kicking the tires on him as a starter — if he’s interested in signing on for a new role.

“I think I would be a great starter if given that opportunity again,” Hoffman said. “It was cool seeing what [Reynaldo Lopez and Jordan Hicks] did last year and, for me with how healthy I am and what I’ve done the last few years with my arsenal, it’s an interesting thought. … It makes sense that guys with deeper arsenals than most relievers have found success.”

Hoffman understands that returning to a major league rotation for the first time since Colorado moved him to the bullpen following the 2019 season would be a unique test. He also knows there is an unmatched feeling to pitching in the pressure-packed high-leverage situations he has thrived in the past two seasons.

“Until it got brought back up [by interested teams], I assumed that ship had sailed. … It would be totally different than the first go round. I feel like I’m 24 years old again. … I’m moving the way I’m supposed to now. I view [starting] as a great challenge. I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been. I would welcome the opportunity. … I love pitching out of the bullpen and late in games, too.”

He’s open to a new career twist, but he’s also quite happy with who has become.

“All things being equal, I want to get the last out.”


What Hoffman wants this winter

Hoffman has more to weigh this winter than signing as a starting pitcher or as a reliever.

During his time in Philadelphia, he became accustomed to pitching in the biggest spots for one of the best teams in baseball, in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in the sport. Those factors make a return to the Phillies a strong possibility.

“It’s hard to even explain what it feels like pitching in Philly, because of the noise, how in tune with the game [the fans] are, it feels like the field surface is alive,” he said. “When the big moments happen, you can hear it from the ground up, like the stadium has the same heartbeat as you.”

If Hoffman does leave the Phillies for a new team, he’ll be looking for an organization with similar priorities.

“The thing that’s most important to me is being on a contender, playing deep into October,” he said. “Playing meaningful baseball, it makes the clubhouse that much more enjoyable when everyone is playing for the same thing. That’s what I want out of my next situation.”

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It’s MLB Home Run Derby Day! Predictions, live updates and takeaways

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It's MLB Home Run Derby Day! Predictions, live updates and takeaways

It’s 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby day in Atlanta!

Some of the most dynamic home run hitters in baseball will be taking aim at the Truist Park stands on Monday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) in one of the most anticipated events of the summer.

While the prospect of a back-to-back champion is out of the picture — 2024 winner Teoscar Hernandez is not a part of this year’s field — a number of exciting stars will be taking the field, including Atlanta’s own Matt Olson, who replaced Ronald Acuna Jr. just three days before the event. Will Olson make a run in front of his home crowd? Will Cal Raleigh show off the power that led to 38 home runs in the first half? Or will one of the younger participants take the title?

We have your one-stop shop for everything Derby related, from predictions to live updates once we get underway to analysis and takeaways at the night’s end.


MLB Home Run Derby field

Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (38 home runs in 2025)
James Wood, Washington Nationals (24)
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays (23)
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (21)
Brent Rooker, Athletics (20)
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves (17)
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees (17)
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (16)


Live updates


Who is going to win the Derby and who will be the runner-up?

Jeff Passan: Raleigh. His swing is perfect for the Derby: He leads MLB this season in both pull percentage and fly ball percentage, so it’s not as if he needs to recalibrate it to succeed. He has also become a prolific hitter from the right side this season — 16 home runs in 102 at-bats — and his ability to switch between right- and left-handed pitching offers a potential advantage. No switch-hitter (or catcher for that matter) has won a Home Run Derby. The Big Dumper is primed to be the first, beating Buxton in the finals.

Alden Gonzalez: Cruz. He might be wildly inconsistent at this point in his career, but he is perfect for the Derby — young enough to possess the stamina required for a taxing event that could become exhausting in the Atlanta heat; left-handed, in a ballpark where the ball carries out better to right field; and, most importantly, capable of hitting balls at incomprehensible velocities. Raleigh will put on a good show from both sides of the plate but will come in second.

Buster Olney: Olson. He is effectively pinch-hitting for Acuna, and because he received word in the past 72 hours of his participation, he hasn’t had the practice rounds that the other competitors have been going through. But he’s the only person in this group who has done the Derby before, which means he has experienced the accelerated pace, adrenaline and push of the crowd.

His pitcher, Eddie Perez, knows something about performing in a full stadium in Atlanta. And, as Olson acknowledged in a conversation Sunday, the park generally favors left-handed hitters because of the larger distances that right-handed hitters must cover in left field.

Jesse Rogers: Olson. Home-field advantage will mean something this year as hitting in 90-plus degree heat and humidity will be an extra challenge in Atlanta. Olson understands that and can pace himself accordingly. Plus, he was a late addition. He has got nothing to lose. He’ll outlast the young bucks in the field. And I’m not putting Raleigh any lower than second — his first half screams that he’ll be in the finals against Olson.

Jorge Castillo: Wood. His mammoth power isn’t disputed — he can jack baseballs to all fields. But the slight defect in his power package is that he doesn’t hit the ball in the air nearly as often as a typical slugger. Wood ranks 126th out of 155 qualified hitters across the majors in fly ball percentage. And he still has swatted 24 home runs this season. So, in an event where he’s going to do everything he can to lift baseballs, hitting fly balls won’t be an issue, and Wood is going to show off that gigantic power en route to a victory over Cruz in the finals.


Who will hit the longest home run of the night — and how far?

Passan: Cruz hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball history. He’s the choice here, at 493 feet.

Gonzalez: If you exclude the Coors Field version, there have been just six Statcast-era Derby home runs that have traveled 497-plus feet. They were compiled by two men: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. James Wood — all 6-foot-7, 234 pounds of him — will become the third.

Olney: James Wood has the easy Stanton- and Judge-type power, and he will clear the Chophouse with the longest homer. Let’s say 497 feet.

Rogers: Hopefully he doesn’t injure himself doing it, but Buxton will break out his massive strength and crush a ball at least 505 feet. I don’t see him advancing far in the event, but for one swing, he’ll own the night.

Castillo: Cruz hits baseballs hard and far. He’ll crush a few bombs, and one will reach an even 500 feet.


Who is the one slugger fans will know much better after the Derby?

Passan: Buxton capped his first half with a cycle on Saturday, and he’ll carry that into the Derby, where he will remind the world why he was baseball’s No. 1 prospect in 2015. Buxton’s talent has never been in question, just his health. And with his body feeling right, he has the opportunity to put on a show fans won’t soon forget.

Olney: Caminero isn’t a big name and wasn’t a high-end prospect like Wood was earlier in his career. Just 3½ years ago, Caminero was dealt to the Rays by the Cleveland Guardians in a relatively minor November trade for pitcher Tobias Myers. But since then, he has refined his ability to cover inside pitches and is blossoming this year into a player with ridiculous power. He won’t win the Derby, but he’ll open some eyes.


What’s the one moment we’ll all be talking about long after this Derby ends?

Gonzalez: The incredible distances and velocities that will be reached, particularly by Wood, Cruz, Caminero, Raleigh and Buxton. The hot, humid weather at Truist Park will only aid the mind-blowing power that will be on display Monday night.

Rogers: The exhaustion on the hitter’s faces, swinging for home run after home run in the heat and humidity of Hot-lanta!

Castillo: Cruz’s 500-foot blast and a bunch of other lasers he hits in the first two rounds before running out of gas in the finals.

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Report: Sternberg to sell Rays for $1.7 billion

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Report: Sternberg to sell Rays for .7 billion

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg has agreed in principle to a $1.7 billion deal to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based developer Patrick Zalupski, according to a report from The Athletic.

The deal is reportedly expected to be closed as early as September and will keep the franchise in the area, with Zalupski, a homebuilder in Jacksonville, having a strong preference to land in Tampa rather than St. Petersburg.

Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million.

According to Zalupski’s online bio, he is the founder, president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes. The company was founded in December 2008 and closed on 27 homes in Jacksonville the following year. Now, with an expanded footprint to many parts of the United States, Dream Finders has closed on more than 31,100 homes since its founding.

He also is a member of the board of trustees at the University of Florida.

The new ownership group also reportedly includes Bill Cosgrove, the CEO of Union Home Mortgage, and Ken Babby, owner of the Akron RubberDucks and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, both minor-league teams.

A year ago, Sternberg had a deal in place to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District, a reimagined recreational, retail and residential district in St. Petersburg to replace Tropicana Field.

However, after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays into temporary quarters, Sternberg changed his tune, saying the team would have to bear excess costs that were not in the budget.

“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said in a statement in March. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners began in March to privately push Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported.

It is unclear what Zalupski’s group, if it ultimately goes through with the purchase and is approved by MLB owners, will do for a permanent stadium.

The Rays are playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, located at the site of the New York Yankees‘ spring training facility and home of their Single-A Tampa Tarpons.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.

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Ohtani hits leadoff for NL; Raleigh cleanup for AL

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Ohtani hits leadoff for NL; Raleigh cleanup for AL

ATLANTA — Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff as the designated hitter for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Truist Park, and the Los Angeles Dodgers star will be followed in the batting order by left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. of the host Atlanta Braves.

Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte will hit third in the batting order announced Monday by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, followed by Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will start his second straight All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced last week. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his first All-Star start for the American League.

“I think when you’re talking about the game, where it’s at, these two guys … are guys that you can root for, are super talented, are going to be faces of this game for years to come,” Roberts said.

Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres will lead off for the AL, followed by Tigers left fielder Riley Greene, New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Tigers center fielder Javy Báez and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Ohtani led off for the AL in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the two-way sensation also was the AL’s starting pitcher. He hit leadoff in 2022, then was the No. 2 hitter for the AL in 2023 and for the NL last year after leaving the Los Angeles Angels for the Dodgers.

Skenes and Skubal are Nos. 1-2 in average four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.

A 23-year-old right-hander, Skenes is 4-8 despite a major league-best 2.01 ERA for the Pirates, who are last in the NL Central. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings.

Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.

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