Jeff Hoffman is headed to the Twins, with the return package coming back the other way made up of left-hander Dasan Hill, right-hander John Klein and infielder Dameury Pena.
Hill is the headliner in the deal. The 20-year-old lefty checks in at No. 7 on MLB Pipeline’s Twins prospect list, and the profile is loaded with real upside.
His fastball reached 99 mph at times and sat at 95 in his debut season, with room to climb as he adds strength to his 6-foot-5 frame. His low-80s sweeper was his primary secondary pitch and generated a 41-percent miss rate per Synergy, while his upper-70s curve matched that rate even though he used it less.
He also mixed in an 84-mph changeup that helped keep right-handed hitters in check. The Twins are not looking to overhaul the mix, especially after Hill posted a strikeout rate above 30 percent in 2025, but a cutter or harder slider could give him another look to go with the two big breaking balls.
The next step is getting in the zone more often. His walk rate was high, but the organization believes that will come with time, and the Twins are eager to see what he looks like in year two after spending the offseason at the complex in Fort Myers.
Klein gives the Twins a more advanced arm. He ranks No. 17 on the Pipeline list and has already logged 4.1 major league innings this season.
In St. Paul, he put up a 5.91 ERA across 24 games, including 14 starts, while allowing 63 hits, 14 home runs, 34 walks and 74 strikeouts over 64 innings.
At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, he has the frame, and the stuff has come a long way since he entered pro ball. He started around 90 mph, but after added strength and work in the Twins’ velocity camp, he was averaging 94 in 2025 and touching 97.
His delivery adds deception to the fastball, and the curveball has become his best secondary pitch, an 80-mph breaker that is as close to an out pitch as he has, even if command can waver. He has also put work into an 85-86 mph splitter and an upper-80s cutter.
There’s been real growth here, but the missing piece is a true put-away pitch, which is why his long-term role is still unsettled. The most likely outcome is a swingman, spot starter or multi-inning reliever.
Pena is the third piece going to Minnesota. He is a right-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic and an international free agent signing who has mostly played second base in the minors.
He is 20 now and turns 21 on September 1. In 83 games between Class A and High-A, he has hit .399, .373 and .362, with 20 steals, 35 walks and 27 strikeouts.
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The return gives Toronto a pair of young pieces to work with in outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene, a sign the front office is balancing present needs against future value. For a club trying to thread that needle in a deadline market that rewards urgency, this is the kind of decision that can look smart in one light and hard to stomach in another, depending on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]