Blue Jays most likely trade candidate is a reliever that Toronto would regret parting with

The Toronto Blue Jays are having a rough go of things this season, with a 16-20 record putting the reigning AL champions nine games back of the New York Yankees already.

But while things aren't going well, there is still hope to turn things around, as they've been getting a bit unlucky this year.

The poster-child for the bad luck this season has been righty reliever Jeff Hoffman, whom Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report named as the most likely trade chip this year.

"Triple-A pitching prospects Adam Macko and Jake Bloss are probably more likely to get moved," Miller writes, "but could the Blue Jays unload Hoffman now that Louis Varland has shown himself capable as the closer?"

While Hoffman has been a bit frustrating, and his $11 million contract in 2026 and 2027 would be nice to get out of in theory, parting with the All-Star righty would be a colossal mistake.

Blue Jays trading Jeff Hoffman would lead to instant regret

Yes, Hoffman has a 5.74 ERA this season in 17 games, and his 4.37 ERA in 71 games last year was far from ideal. The World Series-losing homer he allowed is also still fresh in the minds of Blue Jays fans.

But finding talented relievers like Hoffman is incredibly hard to come by. Things haven't gone well this year, and he wasn't great last year either, but he's not worth trading away.

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If the Blue Jays are trying to contend for a World Series this year, which is the goal, they need to have some faith in Hoffman turning things around.

While his ERA is fairly high, his FIP is actually much lower at 2.82. He's gotten a bit unlucky, though his 16.7 strikeout per-nine inning rate is the best mark of his career.

It's frustrating at the moment, but if the playoff-contending Blue Jays trade Hoffman, it's a move that they'll surely come to regret come the postseason. Having depth in the bullpen is key, and he would be valuable even if not the closer.

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