Hoffman's Bullpen Struggles, Closer Debate Heats Up

0:00On April 22nd, Jeff Hoffman picked up a hold for the Blue Jays last night in a tight four-to-two win over the Angels, but it was a messy ninth inning that had fans on edge. He struck out the first guy, then loaded the bases with a single, two hit batters, and another single before manager John Schneider yanked him. Louis Violin came in, induced a double play, and Toronto finally breathed easy. Hoffman's been electric with strikeouts at over 40 percent, but walks, hit batters, and homers have taint him to a 7.59 ERA, and blown three of six saves already this season. That's a far cry from his setup success last year, with 21 holds, and an all-star nod, and he's still shaking off that world-series savi. Caught up in Game 7? Schneider's shown real loyalty, saying publicly he trusts Hoffman big time, even after Saturday's Grand Slam disaster. But with the bullpen needing stability, that faith might be tipping into stubborn territory, if Hoffman gets another ninth-ending shot soon, into the closer debate, Tyler Rogers has been lights out in the eighth with a sub-1 ERA,

1:04or hot hand, Louis Violin, who's striking out 41. Percent with zero barrels allowed, and nasty high 90s heat, plus a killer curve. Stats favor Violin's zero ERA over Rogers slightly, avoiding a domino mess if you shuffle Rogers up. Picture this bridge, Hoffman owning the seventh to rebuild Groove, Rogers locking the eighth, Varlin slamming the door in ninth. Schneider's loyalty built this squad, now channeling it team-wide with Varlin closing seals, the deal for more wins. I'm Cory with the story, and you've been listening to Toronto Blue Jays News today, AI-powered team coverage.