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The Minnesota Twins are adding a high-strikeout arm to their bullpen for the final two months of the 2026 season.
Minnesota is acquiring veteran reliever Jeff Hoffman from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The complete return heading to Toronto was not immediately reported. Hoffman arrives with uneven overall numbers but plenty of reasons for the Twins to believe he can become an important late-inning weapon. The 33-year-old right-hander has a 3.94 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, five saves and 75 strikeouts across 48 innings this season.
The strikeout total immediately stands out. Hoffman has averaged more than 14 strikeouts per nine innings, providing Minnesota with the type of swing-and-miss ability that can become especially valuable in close games. His recent performance is also encouraging. Hoffman allowed no runs and struck out eight batters across four appearances in the final week before the trade.
Jeff Hoffman returns to a familiar organization
This will not be Hoffman’s first time with the Twins.
The Minnesota Twins are acquiring reliever Jeff Hoffman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 3, 2026Minnesota signed him to a minor league contract before the 2023 season, but Hoffman did not make the Opening Day roster and was granted his release near the end of spring training.
That decision became a turning point in his career. Hoffman joined the Philadelphia Phillies shortly afterward and transformed himself into one of baseball’s most effective relievers. He posted a 2.41 ERA across 54 appearances in 2023 before earning his first All-Star selection the following season.
He recorded a 2.17 ERA, 10 saves and 89 strikeouts across 66 1/3 innings for Philadelphia in 2024. That success helped Hoffman land a three-year, $33 million contract with Toronto before the 2025 season. Three years after the Twins let him go, Hoffman is returning as an established late-inning reliever.
Twins are betting on recent improvement
Hoffman’s 2026 season has not been consistently dominant.
He was removed from Toronto’s closer role earlier in the year and has struggled considerably away from Rogers Centre. Hoffman posted a 6.55 road ERA with a 1.73 WHIP across 22 innings for the Blue Jays. His overall performance has improved dramatically over the past two months, however. MLB.com noted before the deadline that Hoffman had lowered his ERA to 3.94 during an impressive midseason turnaround.
His final four appearances for Toronto offered a clear example of that progress.
Hoffman allowed only two hits and one walk across four scoreless innings while striking out eight. He recorded three strikeouts in one inning against the Washington Nationals on July 27 and followed with two more the next night. Minnesota does not necessarily need Hoffman to handle every save opportunity. His strikeout ability gives the club another option for the most dangerous portion of an opposing lineup, whether that comes in the seventh, eighth or ninth inning.
MORE: White Sox acquire Joey Bart from Braves in late MLB trade deadline move
Blue Jays continue deadline selloff
Toronto entered Monday at 52-60 and 13.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, pushing the organization into seller mode.
The Blue Jays had already reportedly traded starter Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs and outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros. Moving Hoffman continues the organization’s effort to turn veteran players into future value. Unlike many deadline rentals, Hoffman remains under contract beyond this season. That gives Minnesota more than a two-month addition and likely increased the price required to acquire him.
The Twins are taking on some risk because of Hoffman’s inconsistency, but his recent results and elite strikeout rate provide considerable upside. Minnesota once watched Hoffman leave the organization before becoming an All-Star elsewhere. Now the Twins are bringing him back with the expectation that he can help decide meaningful games down the stretch.
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