MLB Off-season Rumours: Could Romano's Jays tenure be over?

Follow along for all the latest news and rumours from around the Major League Baseball off-season.

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Judge giving Soto space

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge said via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch Friday that he hasn't spoken to Juan Soto during his free agency and is giving him space to make his decision. 

Judge also said he has met with owner Hal Steinbrenner to discuss Soto and other moves the team can make this off-season.

Steinbrenner said previously keeping Soto this winter would be a "priority" and that he believes their meeting in Southern California earlier this week went well.

Soto sits at No. 1 on TSN's Top 75 MLB Free Agents list unveiled last week. 

A's in contact with Buehler

The Athletics have spoken to free agent right-hander Walker Buehler about a possible deal, manager Mark Kotsay told Michael J. Duarte of NBC Los Angeles.

Buehler is the No. 18-ranked player on TSN's Top 75 MLB Free Agents list released last week. 

The two-time All-Star missed all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and wasn't as effective in years past once returning this past season, going 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts. However, Buehler did not allow an earned run over his final three postseason appearances and recorded a three-up-three-down ninth inning as the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games to win the World Series. 

Buehler is a two-time All-Star and had a 2.82 ERA in four seasons from 2018 to 2021 before his career became derailed by injuries.

Phillies to non-tender Hays

The Philadelphia Phillies have informed outfielder Austin Hays he is being non-tendered, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The 29-year-old Hays was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Phillies during the season but suffered through a kidney infection and underperformed, slashing .256/.275/.397 in 22 games down the stretch with Philadelphia. 

Hays was an All-Star in 2023, hitting 16 home runs and driving in 67 with a .769 OPS. 

D-Backs getting calls on outfielders

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the team has been receiving calls on outfielders, specifically their surplus of centre fielders.

“I’m still skeptical that a trade is going to happen, but we’ve gotten a lot of calls. There’s not many centre fielders out there is what I’m gathering," Hazen said.

Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy all saw time there recently, though Piecoro notes it's unlikely Carroll -- the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year -- gets moved. Piecoro also reports the belief is any trade would be done to improve the 2025 club.

Thomas slashed .189/.245/.358 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 39 games last season. McCarthy had a better 2024, posting a .285/.349/.400 slash line with eight homers and 56 driven in. 

Soto price tag coming into focus

We all know Juan Soto is going to sign one of the biggest contracts in sports history this winter, but exactly how big?

Last off-season, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year deal worth $700 million, but $680 million of his salary will come as post-career deferrals, making the present-day value of the deal closer to $460 million. 

According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, industry sources believe Soto's contract won't quite eclipse the total value of Ohtani's deal.

"Sources with the involved teams believe the Soto contract will end up being $550 million to $650 million, depending on the structure of the deal, and 10 to 15 years, depending on luxury tax impact and other factors that could benefit the team in terms of length," Bowden wrote in a story posted Thursday.

Bowden initially predicted a 15-year, $622 million contract for Soto in his top free agents ranking from last month.

TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips predicted a 14-year, $701 million deal with deferrals for Soto with the New York Mets. 

Crochet drawing interest from four teams

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet is drawing interest from the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Heyman notes the Red Sox and Orioles are both armed with the position-player talent the White Sox seek. Heyman adds the Orioles may not end up being able to keep free agent righty Corbin Burnes, which would put them in the market for an ace and motivate them to get a deal done.

Crochet went 6-12 with a 3.59 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 146.0 innings pitched last season, his first as a starter at the MLB level. Multiple reports indicate the White Sox are very likely to trade him coming off their historically bad 2024 season. 

Romano a non-tender candidate?

Major League Baseball's non-tender deadline is Friday evening and according to the Toronto Sun's Rob Longley, a Blue Jays fan favourite could be among those let go.

Longley reports multiple sources have told him that closer Jordan Romano could be non-tendered Friday, springing the Markham, Ont., native into free agency a year early.

TSN Blue Jays Reporter Scott Mitchell reported earlier this month that Romano could be a non-tender candidate heading into his final year of arbitration and coming off an elbow procedure that ended his season in July. 

"While the surgery to address an impingement isn’t expected to be an issue by the time spring training arrives, Romano’s effectiveness combined with his potential price tag has some viewing him as a potential non-tender candidate on the Nov. 22 deadline. [General manager Ross] Atkins added fuel to the fire when he mentioned in October that Romano would not be handed the closer role for 2025, and that the back end of the bullpen is something they could address in free agency," Mitchell wrote on Nov. 4. 

MLB Trade Rumours projects Romano to earn about $7.75 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility, which Mitchell notes could be spread around to other parts of the bullpen for a team desperately in need of late-inning help. MLBTR also lists him as a non-tender possibility on their list posted Friday.

The 31-year-old appeared in just 15 games in 2024 due to injury. He posted a 6.59 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP to go along with eight saves and 14 games finished. He was an All-Star the previous two seasons and from 2020 to 2023, had a 2.29 ERA with 97 saves in 199 appearances. Romano (105) ranks third on the Blue Jays' all-time saves list behind Tom Henke (217) and Duane Ward (121).

Romano has spent all six of his MLB seasons with the Blue Jays after making his debut in June of 2019.

Other non-tender possibilities

MLB's non-tender deadline always sends a few interesting names into free agency available for any team to sign. Here are some names MLB Trade Rumours thinks could be on the market by Friday evening's deadline in addition to Romano:

OF Andrew Vaughn (White Sox)
2B Brendan Rodgers (Rockies)
3B Santiago Espinal (Reds)
3B Josh Rojas (Mariners)
SS Jorge Mateo (Orioles)
OF Trent Grisham (Yankees)
OF Miguel Andujar (Athletics)
OF Mike Yastrzemski (Giants)
SP Paul Blackburn (Mets)
SP Griffin Canning (Braves)
SP Aaron Civale (Brewers)
SP Austin Gomber (Rockies)
SP Triston McKenzie (Guardians)
SP Cal Quantrill (Rockies)
RP David Bednar (Pirates)
RP Camilo Doval (Giants)
RP Erik Swanson (Blue Jays)
RP Dillon Tate (Blue Jays)
RP Gregory Soto (Orioles)