John Schneider speaks on Jeff Hoffman's attitude in clubhouse after losing closer role

That is the part Toronto wanted to hear after Schneider told Sportsnet 590 that Hoffman has handled the shift the right way. Schneider said, “It’s easy for guys who thrive on adrenaline to go into lower leverage and be ‘eh.’ He hasn’t done that. He’s kept his edge.”

The timing matters because the Blue Jays pulled Hoffman from the ninth inning only last week. Ross Atkins said the club would move to a closer-by-committee setup in the short term after Hoffman’s rocky opening month.

That was not a light change. Hoffman opened 2026 with 3 saves, but he also blew 3 chances and carried a 6.94 ERA through 11.2 innings. He struck out 25, which is why Toronto still sees swing-and-miss stuff in there.

The Blue Jays did not make this move because the raw stuff disappeared. They made it because the results kept slipping in the biggest outs of the game. Hoffman gave up 4 runs against Arizona on April 18, then followed that with another rough outing against the Angels on April 21.

That is why Schneider’s quote lands. Toronto is trying to lower the pressure without losing the version of Hoffman that can still bully hitters when his command is right.

This is not a full bullpen exile. Atkins said Hoffman will still be asked to get important outs, which tells you the club is trying to reset his usage, not bury him.

And the bullpen has already shown what that new look can be. Louis Varland picked up 3 straight saves after the change and became the clearest first option in the new committee.

That takes some heat off Hoffman, but not all of it. A reliever signed to a 3-year, $33 million deal was brought in to finish games, and Toronto still needs that arm somewhere near full strength.

The encouraging part for Schneider is the attitude. Closers are wired a certain way, and some lose sharpness the second the job title changes. Schneider is saying Hoffman has not done that.

That matters in a clubhouse still trying to steady itself. If Hoffman sulks, the bullpen gets thinner in a hurry. If he stays dangerous, Toronto can still use him in the seventh, eighth, or against the toughest pocket of a lineup.

There is still plenty for Hoffman to clean up. His strikeout rate says the stuff plays. His ERA and blown saves say the execution has not.

For the Blue Jays, that is the whole bet now. Jeff Hoffman no longer owns the ninth inning, but if John Schneider is right about the edge still being there, Toronto may yet get its late-game weapon back.