Blue Jays sign big list of players to new one-year contracts

The Toronto Blue Jays are filling up their transactions sheet today.

On the final day where players and teams can file for arbitration before the 2024 season, the Blue Jays have signed eleven players to one-year deals for next season — but remain with one big name unsigned.

Catchers Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen, infielders Santiago Espinal and Cavan Biggio, outfielder Daulton Varsho, and relievers Jordan Romano, Genesis Cabrera, Tim Mayza, Nate Pearson, Trevor Richards, and Erik Swanson will all be returning for the 2024 season after settling with the franchise today prior to arbitration, as reported by multiple sources throughout the day and later confirmed by the Jays.

The deadline for players to file for arbitration was 5 pm PT/8 pm ET today.

A three-time All-Star with Toronto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the only name set to settle with Toronto ahead of next season. Unless the pair come to terms on a long-term contract, they’ll go to a third party for a hearing to decide Guerrero Jr.’s next one-year deal.

And though Toronto has received trade offers throughout the offseason for Guerrero Jr., we’ll know soon enough about what exactly the short-term — and possibly long-term — outlook looks like for him in Toronto. He currently has two years left of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency in 2026 if he does not sign a long-term deal before then.

Romano’s deal comes in at $7.5 million and is the richest deal signed by the Jays today.

A native of Markham, Ontario, who’s spent his whole career with Toronto since being drafted by them in 2014, Romano had a 5-7 record with an ERA of 2.90, 72 strikeouts and 36 saves in 59 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2023.

Varsho’s deal came in at $5.65 million, the second-biggest deal of the day for Toronto.

Varsho had a remarkable defensive season, leading the major leagues with 29 defensive runs saved over the course of the 2023 campaign, though he struggled at the plate, putting up a .220 batting average and a .674 OPS.

Jansen is the third-biggest winner of the day, earning a one-year deal worth $5.2 million.

Like Romano, he’s spent his whole career in Toronto, being taken by them in the 2013 MLB draft, and has played for the team in each of the last six seasons.

Jansen had a .228 batting average with 61 hits, 17 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 38 runs scored in 86 games for the Jays in 2023.

Meanwhile, the other four contracts come in at smaller dollar figures, being signed for $4.21 million (Biggio), $3.59 million (Mayza), $2.8 million (Kirk), $2.75 million (Swanson), $2.725 million (Espinal), and $1.512 million (Cabrera) respectively.

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