Even in victory, the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen gave fans another reason to worry. While the 9-7 scoreboard offers a dominant sight of the Jays’ offense, it’s also a sad tale of how the bullpen was about to blow up another close game. Especially Jeff Hoffman, who was fielded as a closer on Tuesday but ended up with a disastrous inning. However, he was gracious enough to admit what went wrong.

“I didn’t have any command or any stuff tonight.. nothing was going where I wanted it to go, so it was just a battle the entire inning… I’m glad me and Louis (Varland) were able to get it to the 10th. It could’ve easily ended in the 9th,” Hoffman said after the game.

The Blue Jays carried a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth. However, thanks to Hoffman, the Brewers scored 2 runs and tied the score, sending it to extra innings. Fortunately, they failed to hit a walk-off to end the game. Still, Hoffman allowed two hits, three walks, and two earned runs. In the 10th, the Jays’ hitters took charge and scored 3 more runs.

Varland took over in the 10th, and the Brewers could manage 1 more run. So, while the Jays ended up on the winning side, Hoffman’s debacle on the mound couldn’t be hidden. What’s worse was after Tuesday, he blew his third save of the season.

But while Hoffman was honest enough to acknowledge his shortcomings, he was quick to credit his teammate for saving the game. “He’s consistently the same guy. Playing on a good team probably helps him come out of his shell… a guy that’s not fazed by the situation. He’s mentally locked in, and he’s doing his own thing. He’s great.”

Varland gave up just two hits for 2 SOs from his 1.1 innings. And with that, Varland’s successful run continued. Notably, Varland hasn’t allowed a run in nine games and 10.1 innings pitched this season. In contrast, after his first 9 appearances with the Blue Jays, Hoffman stands with a 4.32 ERA and 6 ERs. And his 3 blown saves currently lead the American League.

Now, as the Jays’ $33 million pitcher is struggling to get command on the mound, we would not be surprised if there are conversations around choosing Varland as the closer over Hoffman. At least Tuesday proved that the choice would not be wrong.

The Blue Jays’ front office gets reactivated with trades

By landing names like Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto in the offseason, the Jays’ front office proved to be aggressive enough. Now, with a few key names in both offense and defense having been sidelined with injuries, the front office is again making some moves.

Toronto recently traded for infielder Lenyn Sosa from the Chicago White Sox. It came as a surprise replacement for the injured George Springer, but the numbers show why it actually makes sense. Last season, Sosa recorded an average of 100 OPS+. Moreover, he also scored 1.4 fWAR last season despite having the second-lowest walk rate among qualified hitters.

He also hit 22 HRs in 2025, with impressive line drives, which ranked him in the top five for line drives.

It is also predicted that the Angels’ pitcher Jose Soriano could be the next trade target for the Blue Jays. “Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano is the best pitcher in baseball right now,” SI.com’s Zach Pressnell predicted.

Pitchers like Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios are yet to return to the squad, and so, the Jays are in urgent need of a replacement. Soriano is currently standing with a 0.33 ERA. Furthermore, the Angels have a flawless 4-0 record when he takes the mound, which perfectly fits with the Jays.

So, in the next few days, we could see some desperate moves from the Blue Jays front office, and if their last offseason is any indication, the moves would be extensive.