The Athletic released its MLB Trade Deadline Big Board, listing 50 players who could be on the move this summer, and way down at No. 41 was former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. He holds a 4.84 ERA this season, and has blown a number of saves for the Jays, leading to Louis Varland and his 0.84 ERA taking over the high-leverage innings. 

That said, Hoffman has turned a corner in June, holding a 0.93 ERA across 2 ⅔ innings while giving up just three hits, three walks and striking out ten. 

If he is indeed available in a trade, the A's should be the team that pushes hard for him because his skillset — when it's working — can play in any ballpark. 

The ERA isn't pretty, but his 2.90 FIP would be the third-lowest of any A's relief pitcher that has tossed at least one inning. The two ahead of him are Jack Perkins at 2.60, who is in the A's rotation now, and Brooks Kriske, who held a 2.73 FIP in 2 ⅔ innings before landing on the IL with a right shoulder impingement. 

In other words, the way that Hoffman has been pitching would set him up for a big late-inning role — likely as the closer — if the A's were to acquire him. Given that he's already had a fair amount of struggles, the expectation is that his June form is the real Hoffman.

The reason for that expectation is simple. His 35.5% strikeout rate combined with his 49.4% ground ball rate would bode well for his chances at success, even at Sutter Health Park. 

Plus, his Baseball Savant page is exactly what you're looking for when acquiring an arm — a 99th-percentile strikeout rate, 98th-percentile whiff rate and chase rate, and a 2.99 xERA that suggests his actual ERA has significant room to fall.

The Jays relief pitcher is signed through the 2027 season and is set to make $12.67 million next year. He'd also be owed the pro-rated rate of that same salary for the rest of 2026, which would work out to right around $4.5 million, depending on when a deal occurred. 

Hoffman, 33, entered June with a 6.31 ERA, but with all of the red on his Baseball Savant page, it's hard to believe he could stay that unlucky for long.

Of course, he's lowered his ERA by a run and a half in the span of three weeks, and by the time we reach the deadline, he could have a sub-4.00 ERA at this rate. 

There is one simple chart that should point to this turnaround being the real deal, and it's his fastball location this season. 

The fact that his chart is concentrated in the middle of the plate is a sign that he's been missing his spot most of the season and just throwing heaters down the heart of the plate. As we saw on Wednesday night, pitches down the middle tend to get hit hard. 

Unsurprisingly, all four home runs he's allowed have been on this pitch, while he hasn't allowed a single long ball on any of his other offerings. 

The other big change we should all believe in is that he's relying on his slider 56.1% of the time this month, up from 27.9% back in April when he held a 7.45 ERA for the month. Opponents are batting just .063 with a .062 xBA against that slider in June. 

While he's relying on the slider right now and it's helping him put up a stellar month, the fastball is still an issue. It has an .800 slugging against and an .833 xSLG, with one home run leaving the yard this month. The bright side here is that when it has sat at the top of the zone in previous seasons, it has been an effective pitch. 

The Blue Jays need to get healthy. Beyond that, they need bats. This is where things could get interesting, because the A's have bats that could be made available, but how well they'd fit the areas Toronto needs to upgrade, along with how much money would be changing hands (if any) would determine the price tag for Hoffman.

To simplify things, Toronto could use a bat that hits left-handers. As a team they rank 27th in wRC+ with an 83 (100 is league average). They have the starting staff — when healthy — to compete yet again this season. It's the offense that has kept them hovering around the .500 mark. 

Darell Hernaiz is one name that wouldn't be surprising to see moved for a pitching upgrade this season. The other would be Toronto native Denzel Clarke. Both are solid defenders — Hernaiz at shortstop, Clarke in center — though each has some questions with their bats. 

Hernaiz posted an 88 wRC+ against left-handers, so the upgrade potential wouldn't be there immediately, but it wouldn't be the first time the Jays took a player that had played third base for the A's and improved their offensive performance. Josh Donaldson, Matt Chapman and Ernie Clement are some recent examples. 

For Clarke, he would also have the added risk of not staying healthy. That said, with Daulton Varsho set to hit free agency this winter, Clarke could be a nice outfield replacement for Toronto to have just in case. 

These are just a couple of the options that could be considered, but they're also options that the A's could end up making available with the emergence of Zack Gelof as the team's utility player and Henry Bolte taking over center field duties. 

Hoffman represents the type of player that the A's should be targeting at the deadline. He's under contract for another season and brings a 99th-percentile strikeout rate and strong ground ball tendencies. The reliever volatility is real, but it's also what should keep the acquisition price reasonable. 

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