Jeff Hoffman signed a three-year, $33MM contract with the Blue Jays this night. The righty practically landed with a division rival. Robert Murray of FanSided studies that Hoffman and the Orioles had agreed to phrases on a three-year, $40MM contract earlier this week. In line with Murray, Baltimore pulled out of the deal after the bodily revealed one thing associated to his throwing shoulder that involved the group. Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet write that Baltimore continued to pursue Hoffman and made him a revised provide after backing out of the preliminary phrases, however the All-Star reliever turned his consideration elsewhere.
Groups have completely different requirements for the damage danger that they’re keen to tolerate on potential signings or commerce acquisitions. The Orioles have a fame for being notably attentive to the bodily. The O’s backed out of agreements with Grant Balfour and Tyler Colvin, respectively, in 2013 and ’14. They restructured their settlement with Yovani Gallardo in the course of the 2015-16 offseason due to issues about his shoulder. These conditions all predated the hiring of basic supervisor Mike Elias and the franchise’s sale to proprietor David Rubenstein. This might definitely be coincidental.
Hoffman has not spent any time on the injured checklist during the last two years. He missed portion of the second half of 2022 due to a forearm situation. Hoffman did miss round two months in 2021 as a result of a shoulder impingement. He was sidelined between Could 27 and July 21 that season. The damage didn’t require surgical procedure.
Different groups have failed free agent physicals, after all. Essentially the most well-known occasion was when the Giants and Mets every pulled out of agreements with Carlos Correa due to issues about his ankle in the course of the 2021-22 offseason. The Yankees reportedly pulled out of a deadline commerce to accumulate Jack Flaherty from the Tigers final summer season due to issues about his again. That’s not a direct parallel, because the Yanks had points with Flaherty’s medical information reasonably than conducting their very own bodily.
The Flaherty scenario illustrates that completely different golf equipment’ medical departments may have diverging opinions on a participant’s well being. The Dodgers traded for the righty inside hours of the Yankees deal falling by way of. (Flaherty stayed wholesome for the stretch run with Los Angeles.) Hoffman’s bodily wound up costing him $7MM in assured cash, although he can earn as much as $6MM again through innings-based incentives. It’s not clear whether or not his settlement with Baltimore would have included any efficiency bonuses.
Baltimore rapidly pivoted to their subsequent bullpen goal. The O’s agreed to a one-year, $10MM deal with righty Andrew Kittredge final night time. He’ll be a part of Yennier Cano, Seranthony DomÃnguez and Keegan Akin in entrance of nearer Félix Bautista, who’s coming back from 2023 Tommy John surgical procedure.
