Toronto Blue Jays closer role up in air entering series vs Cleveland Guardians
Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Manager John Schneider has a bit of a quandary on his hands when it comes to who will work late inning high-leverage situations for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Toronto Blue Jays have stumbled out of the gate, posting a 10–14 record that leaves them sitting fourth in the competitive AL East.
A major contributor to their early struggles has been the bullpen, which currently ranks 23rd in Major League Baseball with a 4.81 ERA.
The group has already blown seven leads, tying them with the White Sox for the third-highest total in the league, trailing only the Athletics and Nationals, who each have eight.
Ninth-inning performance has been particularly troubling.
Closer Jeff Hoffman has already been tagged with three blown saves, tied for the most in MLB. That number doesn’t even reflect his difficult outing Tuesday against the Angels.
So far this season, Hoffman has appeared in 12 games and has allowed runs in half of them. Over 10 2/3 innings, the 33-year-old right-hander has given up 11 runs, nine of which were earned.
He’s also surrendered 16 hits, issued six walks, and allowed two home runs—numbers that highlight his inconsistency.
Blue Jays not committed to keeping Hoffman in the closer role
“We’ll reevaluate everything, talk with him, see how he’s doing. He’s going through it obviously a little bit,” Schneider told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ll see (about his role).”
With a scheduled day off on Thursday, Schneider added that the team would take the opportunity to sit down with Hoffman and assess the situation more thoroughly.
Despite the rough outcomes, there are indicators suggesting Hoffman’s struggles may not tell the full story.
He has been dominant in one key area: strikeouts. Hoffman has struck out 24 of the 57 batters he’s faced, good for an elite 42.1% strikeout rate.
Among pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings, only Mason Miller has been better in that category.
Hoffman’s swinging-strike rate of 21.2% also ranks second, again trailing only Miller’s remarkable 30.3%.
Additionally, all four of Hoffman’s pitches have been effective at generating swings and misses, and his velocity remains consistent with previous seasons.
Some of his struggles appear tied to bad luck, as opposing hitters have posted an average above .600 on balls put into play against him, an unusually high figure that often evens out over time.
If Hoffman were coming off a dominant 2025 campaign, the Blue Jays might be more inclined to stay patient and allow those numbers to normalize.
However, his first season in Toronto was inconsistent.
While he recorded 33 saves, he also allowed 15 home runs—second-most among relievers, and finished with a 4.37 ERA over 68 innings.
His postseason performance was largely strong, but it ended on a sour note when he gave up a decisive home run to Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, his only blown save of the playoffs.
John Schneider to address closer role ahead of Guardians series.
If Toronto decides to make a change in the closer role, Louis Varland appears to be the leading candidate.
The right-hander, acquired at last year’s trade deadline, has started the 2026 season in dominant fashion, throwing 13 scoreless innings while striking out 19 batters and walking just three.
Though he has excelled as a setup man, he lacks closing experience, with Tuesday’s one-pitch appearance marking the first save of his MLB career.
Moving Varland into the closer’s role would come with trade-offs.
Schneider has frequently relied on him in the most critical moments, which don’t always occur in the ninth inning.
In fact, Varland has been used in higher-leverage situations than any other Toronto pitcher so far, with Hoffman ranking third behind both Varland and Brendon Little, who has since been optioned.
Other relievers, including Tyler Rogers and Braydon Fisher, are also playing important roles in late-game scenarios.
Ultimately, Schneider must weigh performance, flexibility, and long-term stability as he decides how to restructure the bullpen moving forward.
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Toronto Blue Jays facing tough roster decision once George Springer returns
Toronto Blue Jays facing tough roster decision once George Springer returns
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