Phillies favorite with $9 million in career earnings tipped to quit team in favor of MLB rivals San Diego Padres

PHILADELPHIA Phillies star Jeff Hoffman has been tipped to sign with the San Diego Padres.

The pitcher, 31, is considered one of this off-season’s top free agents.

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Fresh off a first All-Star appearance, Hoffman has attracted plenty of interest.

The former No.9 overall pick in 2014 struggled to nail down a spot for himself during his early years in the MLB with the Colorado Rockies.

Following a stint with the Cincinnati Reds, his long-term future in the league came into question.

Ahead of the 2023 season he failed to earn a roster spot on the Minnesota Twins.

After initially signing a minor-league deal with the Phillies, Hoffman has since gone from strength-to-strength.

Having found his mojo in the City of Brotherly Love, Hoffman is looking to get paid this off-season.

The New York-native, who earned $2.2 million this year and has banked more than $9m in his career, has been linked with the Padres.

Predicting the outcome of Hoffman’s free agency, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote, “The Padres will likely be in the market to add at least one starting pitcher with Joe Musgrove on the shelf recovering from Tommy John surgery, and they could be the perfect team to take a chance on Jeff Hoffman’s potential move from bullpen to rotation.

“After all, they were the team that gave Seth Lugo a shot at starting again when they signed him to a one-year deal prior to the 2023 season, and that worked out pretty well.”

Hoffman believes that his brief stint in Minnesota helped to unlock some of his early promise.

“Pete Maki [Twins pitching coach in 2023] said let’s try a cutter,” Hoffman recently revealed to ESPN. “Throw it like a fastball then flick left at the end.

“It was terrible but it was 89 miles per hour in a bullpen session. ‘Oh s***, that works!’

“It was just a chase to repeat the velo, even if I gave up a home run, just throw it 89 miles per hour and call it a slider.

“Day by day, chasing that … sometimes it just takes a mental cue, and you are behind the ball instead of beside it [at release].”

‘I WOULD BE A GREAT STARTER’

Much has been speculated as to whether Hoffman will be a starter on his next team.

“I think I would be a great starter if given that opportunity again,” he told ESPN last week. “It was cool seeing what [Reynaldo Lopez and Jordan Hicks] did last year and, for me with how healthy I am and what I’ve done the last few years with my arsenal, it’s an interesting thought.

“It makes sense that guys with deeper arsenals than most relievers have found success.”

Hoffman is determined to be playing for a team with championship aspirations.

“The thing that’s most important to me is being on a contender, playing deep into October,” he vowed.

“Playing meaningful baseball, it makes the clubhouse that much more enjoyable when everyone is playing for the same thing. That’s what I want out of my next situation.”