Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins opens up about Jeff Hoffman’s closer role
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Victor William
Mar 27, 2026 (5:09 PM)
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Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Ross Atkins officially confirms Jeff Hoffman remains our closer to ignite an incredible championship redemption tour.
It is absolutely thrilling to see a front office fiercely protect their incredibly resilient veteran players when the outside noise gets ridiculously loud.
The grueling offseason rumor mill constantly churned out massive speculation about the future of our ninth inning role after a highly emotional playoff exit.
Every single passionate fan painfully remembers the heartbreaking final pitch that unfortunately tied Game 7 of the World Series last fall.
Our general manager completely killed the lingering negativity today by emphatically shutting down those replacement rumors with two massive words.
Being asked directly on the air if the team searched for a new closer over the winter, Atkins responded with a resounding "Absolutely not."
That specific level of unwavering front office belief completely changes the entire daily dynamic of a highly pressured major league clubhouse.
Jeff Hoffman possesses the exact aggressive mindset needed to dominate the division
There is a massive collective sigh of relief among fans knowing we are finally trusting our established veteran arms to finish the ultimate job.
You simply cannot forget how completely dominant this talented righty was before that singular devastating mistake against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hoffman (Drafted Round 1, 2014 by Toronto Blue Jays) literally carried this exhausted bullpen to the absolute brink of a championship ring.
The veteran closer racked up 33 massive saves while logging 68 grueling innings during his brilliant and highly durable 2025 season.
He also registered 84 massive strikeouts and maintained a highly respectable 4.37 ERA to consistently anchor the modern pitching staff.
Bringing in fresh high leverage arms like Tyler Rogers perfectly supplements our closer without actively threatening his permanent everyday job.
Having an incredibly motivated closer who is entirely ready to completely erase last October is a massive tactical advantage for this entire roster.
The entire city of Toronto is firmly rallying behind his relentless daily drive and unshakeable mound confidence right now.
Our veteran core desperately needs guys who completely embrace the heavy pressure to make another deep October push this summer.
Hopefully Hoffman has what it takes to carry the Blue Jays in late innings for the entire season.
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Blue Jays make last-minute catcher decision ahead of Opening Day
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| POLL | ||
MARS 27|264 ANSWERS Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins opens up about Jeff Hoffman’s closer role Are you completely confident Jeff Hoffman will successfully dominate the ninth inning this season? | ||
| Yes | 84 | 31.8 % |
| No | 180 | 68.2 % |
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