Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman had a pointed message for the Baltimore Orioles after closing them out on Sunday.
Hoffman pitched two scoreless innings while striking out four in Sunday’s extra innings win over Baltimore at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. After recording the final out in a 10-inning win, Hoffman could be seen looking toward the Orioles dugout and blowing a kiss.
Jeff Hoffman blows a kiss to the Orioles, who almost signed him until they didn’t pass his physical pic.twitter.com/jjlvuO93LV
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 13, 2025
The petty gesture did not come out of nowhere. The Orioles had agreed to a three-year, $40 million contract with Hoffman during the offseason, but voided the deal after his physical turned up concerns about his shoulder. He wound up signing a three-year, $33 million pact with Toronto instead.
Hoffman admitted there was a little extra on his mind when facing the Orioles for that reason.
“Outside, you know, when I’m thinking about the games [beforehand], yeah, obviously, like, that’s definitely in my head,” Hoffman said, via Paige Leckie of MLB.com. “But once I’m in the game, in the moment, I’m focused on making pitches and all that stuff. If you start to think about all that [other] stuff while you’re out there, things tend not to go well. So I do my best to stay in the moment and just try to make the next pitch and get my team back in the dugout.”
So far, the Blue Jays are pleased with their investment in Hoffman. The 32-year-old has allowed just one run in 9.1 innings of work this season with 13 strikeouts. Baltimore may be proven right about his health in the long run, but for now, they are looking foolish as Hoffman pitches very well for a division rival.
