Although he may miss chances in defense, Hoffman is ecstatic about his reunion with Estevez originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
Jeff Hoffman is having a career year and his timing couldn’t be better. The Phillies’ right-handed reliever, with a 1.05 earned run average and .172 opponents’ batting average, will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Cha-ching…
So his reaction to the news that the Phillies acquired right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez from the Angels for prospects on Saturday is interesting. Especially as Rob Thomson repeated before Sunday’s series finale against the Guardians that he hopes to use him in the role Hoffman occupied for much of the season.
“I’m not going to say that (Estevez is) closer. I’m not going to be cornered,” the coach said. “But he’ll have a lot of appearances in the ninth inning.”
Either way, Estevez’s presence will cost Hoffman opportunities to save. Which in turn could cost him money if he ends up hitting the open market this winter.
And Hoffman couldn’t be happier. Not exactly about the personal financial implications, but about reuniting with a former Rockies teammate and what he could mean for this team’s chances of winning the World Series.
“He’s unbelievable. He’s a great addition. He’ll fit in perfectly here,” enthused the 31-year-old. “He’s a great teammate. Eager to learn and win. There’s nothing negative I can say about him. It’s going to be a lot of fun because he hasn’t had a chance to win yet. Being able to see that firsthand is going to be really cool. Being able to do that with him is going to be cool.”
Estevez will arrive at Citizens Bank Park on Monday carrying his gear bag and a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings. He is 20-for-23 in save opportunities with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP.
Hoffman heard the news from Bryce Harper before Friday’s game and immediately texted Estevez.
“I said, ‘Congratulations. I hope you’re happy. We’re so excited to have you. And if he needs anything, just (let me know).
“When we were (playing in Anaheim in late April) we talked a little. He was saying it was cool to see what I was doing and just keep going and all that good stuff. looks like fun here. I was basically telling him it’s not like anywhere else. He’s going to see how cool this place is, so that’s really awesome too.
Thomson said he believes he essentially has four closers (Estevez, Hoffman plus lefties Matt Strahm and Jose Alvarado) to go with on any given night. What’s remarkable is that everyone was able to prioritize the team above their egos.
“It’s the people who have the ability to put all of that aside,” Hoffman said. “It’s very clear what the objective is here. If you don’t agree, you’re against it and you won’t be here.
“So, yes, the most important thing is that we are being put in the right situations to win a baseball game. Whatever the situation was that night, whether it was lefties in the seventh, lefties in the eighth, lefties in the ninth. Or right-handed anywhere. We have the pieces to do it and I think we’re all happy to be part of a win. It doesn’t matter if it’s a save or a defense or if you come in and hold a game. per minute. That’s what makes being part of a team like this special, because everyone is striving for the same goal.”
Oh yeah, and Hoffman thinks Estevez won’t just contribute to winning baseball games.
“We still play Xbox together on the computer,” he explained. “Call of Duty. We have a good group that plays Call of Duty here too. So as soon as I found out we were trading for him, I was like, ‘Trea (Turner)! (Kyle) Schwarber! Guys, we have a new teammate! ‘”
PRAISE FOR LEFTERS
After the Phillies acquired Austin Hays from the Orioles on Friday to be their everyday left fielder, they assembled a platoon in center with Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas. And since Marsh was hitting .140 against left-handed pitching, it seemed entirely possible that he wouldn’t face another lefty until next spring.
It ended up being less than two days.
With LHP Joey Cantillo making his major league debut for the Guardians on Sunday, Marsh started in center and batted eighth.
“(Cantillo has) a kind of balanced (left-right) split,” Rob Thomson said. “And Marsh had a good day on Saturday (2-for-4 with a home run). Maybe that’ll keep him going, you know? He was 0-for-25 coming in. Just a little reward.”
NEXT
The Yankees will open a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park when RHP Luis Gil (10-5, 3.10) faces RHP Zack Wheeler (10-4, 2.55) in a 6:40 game.
Will it be RHP Gerrit Cole (3-2, 5.40) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (11-4, 3.44) Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.
LHP Nestor Cortes (4-9, 4.13) opposes LHP Cristopher Sanchez (7-6, 3.05) Wednesday at 12:35 p.m.
The Yankees entered play Sunday just one game behind first-place Baltimore in the AL East despite having lost 24 of their last 36 games.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Youtube Music | Spotify | Seamstress | Art19 | RSS | Watch on youtube
