How did the Toronto Blue Jays end up in this situation? After averaging 90 wins between 2021 and 2023, the team seemed set to contend for another playoff spot in 2024. Instead, they fell short, winning 15 fewer games than the previous season, placing them at the threshold of their most pivotal offseason in recent memory.
General manager Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider are certainly under pressure, if not outright on the hot seat. They’ll need a strong offseason to improve the roster and push Toronto back into contention next spring. There are multiple areas that need addressing if they want to bounce back.
Competing in the AL East won’t get any easier. The Blue Jays finished last in the division for the first time since 2013 and posted their worst record since 2019. They can’t afford to see the same disappointing results in 2025.
To compete with the division’s elite, Toronto must bolster its roster through trades and free agency, potentially both acquiring and offloading players. Some on the roster are expendable and could be used as trade assets.
No matter how things unfold, the Blue Jays need to emerge from the offseason in a stronger position. Could this involve a major signing or a blockbuster trade? It’s certainly possible.
Sign a 2024 All-Star to bolster bullpen
To put it simply, the Blue Jays’ bullpen was a major weakness in 2024. Toronto ranked 29th in bullpen ERA, with their relievers posting a dismal 4.82 mark. Only the struggling Colorado Rockies and the historically bad Chicago White Sox allowed more earned runs from the bullpen than the Jays.
It’s clear that the Blue Jays need to revamp their bullpen, and bringing in reinforcements via trades or free agency is crucial. One name to keep an eye on is right-handed power arm Jeff Hoffman, who had an All-Star season with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hoffman emerged in 2023, his first season in Philadelphia, posting a 2.41 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 54 appearances. He followed that with an even better 2024, lowering his ERA to 2.17 while pitching 14 more innings. He also recorded 10 saves and boosted his strikeouts per nine innings.
Hoffman reduced his walk rate and upped his strikeouts, quickly becoming one of the Phillies’ most dependable relief pitchers. He peaked at the right time with two stellar seasons, though he struggled in the playoffs, allowing six earned runs over three games, with a blown save and two losses.
Interested teams will hope Hoffman’s postseason struggles were just a brief slump, as his 2023 playoff performance (2.57 ERA in seven innings with nine strikeouts and one walk) was far more encouraging. While the Phillies may try to re-sign him, other teams will likely offer more money. Hoffman is expected to land a multi-year contract, and with the Blue Jays in dire need of late-inning help, why not make a move for him?