MLB insider envisions Phillies could bring back former All-Star reliever

MLB insider envisions Phillies could bring back former All-Star reliever originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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With the MLB’s trade deadline sitting only 10 days away, teams around the league are set to make their final moves ahead of the closing quarter of the season.

This certainly applies to the Philadelphia Phillies, who have several categories they’d like to improve on if they want to make the most of their early-season turnaround, currently sitting 4.5 games back from the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings, while being in firm control of at least one wild card spot.

As previously reported, one of the Phillies’ areas for improvement comes in their bullpen, as the National League East contenders have struggled to find themselves a set-up man, which wasn’t helped by the untimely injury of Brad Keller, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a torn UCL in his right elbow.

Philadelphia could look towards a familiar arm at the deadline

While there are certain prospects in Philadelphia’s pipeline who could patch the hole left by Keller’s absence, most notably Alex McFarlane, MLB insider and USA Today writer Bob Nightengale feels the team could look towards the American League East to bring back one of their former bullpen arms at the deadline: Jeff Hoffman.

“They are in desperate need of a late-inning reliever, and would love to bring back Jeff Hoffman of the Toronto Blue Jays,” states Nightengale.

Hoffman is in his second season at the Rogers Centre, posting a 4.40 ERA across 43 innings of work and a FIP of 2.66, so he necessarily hasn’t been the issue on the mound for Toronto. Prior to his time in the American League, the 33-year-old spent two seasons with Philadelphia, recording 11 saves, 158 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.28.

Hoffman’s stellar work in the 2024 season, which saw him post a career-low 2.17 ERA and a SO9 of 12.1, would be enough to see him be handed his first All-Star nod.

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