Let's talk Hoffman

[Fatter than Joey]

Here is the link....

 

I just thought it was odd, that they would let Hoffman only pitch 3-4 innings out of the blue.

[TooLiveBrew]

Thanks, not sure why I couldn't find that by looking at ESPN (not Google)

[trwi7]

Another blown save. A walk and four rockets given up, a couple on changeups. I think it's safe to say he's done.

[TooLiveBrew]

After defending him 'til I was blue in the face as recently as a week ago, I give. Turns out the blue should have been for sarcasm in my posts, I guess.

 

If he's not injured, he must really be toast. In either event, he should not be pitching meaningful relief innings at this point.

[tigerbrew]

I said this here few weeks ago and I say this again, Hoffman is done, he should not be closer anymore.

 

I think Hoffman is a waste of a roster spot, DFA him.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I'm with you TLB. I've been a defender. I would have put him out there today. I really thought he turned it around after Sunday, but he is a human gas can right now. He simply does not deserve to be in that role right now.

[bjkrautk]

Not sure how Hoffman can go from looking great Sunday Night (as good as he's looked all year) to getting lit up Tuesday.

 

Really wondering if he's tipping his pitches, since he was pitching in/around the zone as far as I could tell.

[Ennder]

He is bouncing half his pitches in front of the plate and the other half are right down the middle, I don't think his 'stuff' has changed but he just does not have any control at all right now. I would think they have to go with someone else as closer until Hoffman figures it out.

[Invader3K]

If he's not injured, he must really be toast. In either event, he should not be pitching meaningful relief innings at this point.

That's my assessment. They (meaning Melvin and Attanasio in particular) need to talk to Trevor and get an honest assesment. If he's hurt, he needs to go to the DL. If he's toast, he should do the honorable thing and hang it up. Otherwise he gets relegated to being a garbage time reliever. They can't possibly throw him in with a close lead at this point. You just can't realistically count on him.

 

It might be time to call up Braddock and see if he can be the closer of the future.

[zurch1818]

After blowing his 5th save of the year today, the Brewers can't afford

to throw him out there anymore. Today he didn't even record an out. It

is time to try someone else. But who? Via or Coffey are your best

options now currently on the roster. I say it's time to try one of them

for now and bring Braddock up and work him into the closer's role. At

least this way, we can prepare for the future.

[TabbertBB]

Have you had enough or are you looking for some more?

 

The Brewers are such suckers that they didn't trade this guy before the deadline last year-- why they held onto him is STUPID!!! They were going nowhere last year and some other sucker would have took this Hasbeen off their hands

[JohnBriggs12]

He doesn't belong on a major league roster. Period.

[Bombers]

Get rid of him

[adamb100]

At which point will Hoffman himself come up to Macha and ask him to stop putting him in games?

[Fear The Chorizo]

He is bouncing half his pitches in front of the plate and the other half are right down the middle, I don't think his 'stuff' has changed but he just does not have any control at all right now. I would think they have to go with someone else as closer until Hoffman figures it out.

Yeah, but by using the 3 year statistical pile of data Hoffman's accrued, he's still fine, right?

 

At 42, or however old Hoffman is, I don't think the Brewers should have the patience to wait until Hoffman "figures it out"...even if he's not done for his career, he should be done as a Brewer.

 

 

[JohnBriggs12]

Not sure how Hoffman can go from looking great Sunday Night (as good as he's looked all year) to getting lit up Tuesday.

 

Really wondering if he's tipping his pitches, since he was pitching in/around the zone as far as I could tell.

Forget Sunday, batting practice pitchers can get 3 outs by accident too when hitters aren't zeroed in. It happens. He can't get 1 out when hitters are bearing down.

[Invader3K]

Would it be reasonable to place him on waivers and see if anyone would claim him?

 

Edit: Here's a gem from Tom Haudricourt...in 14 appearances, Hoffman is 1-3, 13.15 ERA, with five blown saves in 10 opportunities. Is he the worst closer in the majors at this point, by far?

[Mr QL]

He's so done. Just get 600 and retire the same night Trevor.

[Funketown]

When a player gets this lit up in 13 innings, I'm comfortable with going off those 13 innings and saying he is absolutely toast (heck, with they way Hoffman's been throwing the ball, 8-9 innings might have been enough). Is he a 15 ERA pitcher at this point? Of course not. Is he a 5.5-6 ERA pitcher at this point? Perhaps. Although I'm sure its happened, I don't ever recall a Brewers pitcher giving up 7 HR's in such a limited amount of innings. Please, don't make me look like an ignoramus and tell me that Looper did it last year, or Suppan the year before.

 

There's a guy named Zach Braddock in AAA right now, although I'm not sure you guys have heard of him. Anyways, in 15 innings, he's struck out 27, walked 8, and given up one long ball. I wonder if he might be able to help this bullpen (hint, hint)?

[Bombers]

Would it be reasonable to place him on waivers and see if anyone would claim him?

I would ... if no one claims him than who cares.

[Invader3K]

He's so done. Just get 600 and retire the same night Trevor.

The problem is he'll blow at least four more saves to get to 600. I don't think they can be that patient with him anymore.

[MJLiverock]

Not sure why they felt after 1 good performance he was ready to resume the role of closer again. I don't know offhand who else was available today but as I said 5 days ago, he needed to show half a dozen good outings before I would have considered him the closer again. But with 1 good outing Macha was ready to ignore 5+ bad outings to put him right back in the role. Hoffman shouldn't have to tell the manager he isn't a good option for closing but I fear that is what it would take for Macha to go into Player X is now the 9th inning guy mode.

[And That]

Hoffman seems like a pretty stand-up guy. I truly hope that, after reflecting on his performance so far this season, if he thinks he is no longer effective as a major league pitcher, he just walks away. He seems like the kind of person that would do that.

 

On the other hand, he's a professional athlete and thereby ultra-competitive, so he may think he can still fix things and I guess you never know, he may.

 

Either way, I might turn off the TV the next time he steps on the mound.

[Postseason2006]

This reminds of ned going to Gags after blowing 3 in a row.

[Invader3K]

I don't blame Macha for using him today. Coffey got lit up yesterday and all the others have been used a lot lately. Hoffman is on the roster to be the closer. If he can't close, he basically has no value to the team. It's just a horrible situation for the team to be in right now.