For right-hander Jeff Hoffman, the deal he struck Friday with the Toronto Blue Jays was a full-circle moment.
Hoffman, who signed a three-year, $33 million free-agent contract, pending a physical, was the Jays’ selection with the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft. The total value of the agreement, according to a league source briefed on the details, could increase to $39 million through incentives.
“We are excited to add Jeff to our bullpen,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said in a statement. “His arsenal, strike-throwing and ability to miss bats against all types of hitters is elite and will undoubtedly make us better. Jeff will get an opportunity to close games for us this season. His track record, competitiveness and experience make him a great complement to this group. We look forward to welcoming him, his wife Marissa, and their children Tytan, Houstyn, Jetsyn and Lennyn to Toronto.”
Some members of the front office who were present for the team’s selection of Hoffman out of East Carolina are still with the club. The pitcher’s first stint with the Jays, however, did not last long. A little more than a year after the Jays drafted him, the team sent Hoffman, shortstop Jose Reyes and right-handers Miguel Castro and Jesús Tinoco to the Colorado Rockies…
