Jeff Hoffman gave Derek Shelton more than a clean late inning. He also delivered a pointed message that sounded aimed straight at Louis Varland.
The new Twins reliever praised Yoendrys Gómez after working in front of Minnesota's closer, but the second half of his answer carried much more bite.
“It felt great to get a hold, having that confidence in the guy closing the game. Haven't really had that in some earlier parts of this year, so yeah (Gomez) did good.”
That's a loaded comment from Hoffman considering how his final months unfolded in Toronto. He opened 2026 in the ninth inning before losing the Blue Jays' closer job to Varland roughly a month into the season.
Hoffman never mentioned Varland by name. He didn't have to. Saying he lacked confidence in the pitcher closing games during an earlier stretch immediately points back toward the bullpen hierarchy he just left.
And the timing makes it sharper. Toronto moved Hoffman to Minnesota at the deadline for Dasan Hill, John Klein and Dameury Pena, ending his second season with the Blue Jays.
Minnesota isn't asking Hoffman to reclaim the ninth inning right away, either. Shelton has kept Gómez at the back of the bullpen while viewing Hoffman as another high-leverage weapon before him.
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Hoffman sounds sold on Gómez behind him
That setup makes Hoffman's praise stand out. A reliever with closing experience arrived on a new club, accepted work before the ninth and immediately talked about the comfort of knowing who would finish the job.
Gómez earned that trust before Hoffman arrived. The right-hander had already moved into Minnesota's late-inning picture, giving Shelton another option alongside Andrew Morris.
For Hoffman, the change of scenery also separates him from a Toronto bullpen where his own role shifted dramatically. He had a 3.94 ERA through 51 appearances when the Blue Jays dealt him.
Varland was a major part of that shift. Once Toronto handed him the closer role, Hoffman moved into other leverage spots, a significant change for a pitcher who entered the season expected to handle the ninth.
Now Hoffman is praising a different closer while talking openly about confidence. Whether he intended it as a direct shot or not, the comparison is impossible to miss.
The Twins got a late-inning arm at the deadline. They may have also received the first piece of bulletin-board material involving Hoffman and his former Blue Jays bullpen.
Was Jeff Hoffman clearly taking a shot at Louis Varland?
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