Blue Jays GM inexplicably admits to not trying to upgrade a weak spot from 2025

The Toronto Blue Jays' excellent offseason helped the team fill gaps everywhere on the roster, from Kazuma Okamoto replacing Bo Bichette in the infield to Dylan Cease taking over as Kevin Gausman's co-ace atop the rotation.

However, the team peculiarly didn't go after a loaded closer market, instead opting to stick with mercurial door-slammer Jeff Hoffman despite an up-and-down debut season in Toronto.

"in [terms of] our desire to acquire another closer this offseason, absolutely not," general manager Ross Atkins said. "We were open to acquiring really good pitching, and if it came in the form of another closer, I wanted to at least consider that with Jeff — I was staying in touch with him over the offseason and talking to him about different pitchers with closer backgrounds... but our faith in Jeff, it can't get any higher."

It's really hard to make sense of this when there were multiple rumors connecting the Blue Jays to former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks this offseason, but either way, Hoffman is the surefire closer for the team heading into the 2026 season.

Blue Jays' decision to stick with Jeff Hoffman looks worse after Opening Day

The Blue Jays signed Hoffman after a two-year breakout in Philadelphia, but he came back to earth in 2025, allowing a 4.37 ERA and 4.90 FIP in 71 appearances. He settled down in the playoffs, but then blew the most important save in franchise history when Miguel Rojas took him deep in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series.

He faced a lot of scrutiny over the offseason, with fans questioning if he was the right man for the job. The Blue Jays apparently decided he was, passing on a free-agent market that included proven closers such as Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Devin Williams, and Fairbanks.

It's worth noting that Atkins' words are probably a little bit of lip service; as he admits, the team was involved in trying to get a pitcher of that caliber. But, since they failed, he's now in a position where he has to publicly defend Hoffman.

Unfortunately for both, Hoffman certainly didn't help his case on Opening Day, allowing a game-tying home run to Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers for his first blown save of the 2026 season. The offense bailed him out with a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth, but if this is as high as faith can get in a closer, Atkins may want to reevaluate his definition of "confidence."

If there is a "backup closer" on the roster, it's free-agent acquisition Tyler Rogers, who joined the Blue Jays with the intention of being a leverage reliever in playoff games. He does have 19 saves to his name, but none since 2024.

If Hoffman wants to retain his role, he'll need to pitch a lot better in the coming months. Otherwise, Atkins won't have any excuses to make when the trade deadline rolls around.