Saucedo, 32, made his big league debut as a member of the Blue Jays back in 2021 but got the majority of his work over the years with the Mariners after Seattle picked him up off waivers prior to the 2023 season. Saucedo proved to be a viable middle relief arm for the Mariners across two seasons, pitching to a 3.54 ERA in 86 1/3 innings of work with a 21.7% strikeout rate against a walk rate of 11.0%.
Romero is projected to earn $4.4MM in 2026, which is his final season of arbitration control before free agency. With the Cardinals in rebuild mode, Romero is a logical trade candidate, and moving him now rather than at the trade deadline allows St. Louis to both land a larger return and avoid the risk of an in-season injury to the 29-year-old southpaw.
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander publicly admitted a few weeks back that the club would be looking for bullpen upgrades. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports that Seattle plans to add two relievers and hopes to have one locked down by the end of the Winter Meetings next week. Adding a lefty is a priority and Jude lists five names they are considering, with four of them being southpaws.
Toronto's 3.98 bullpen ERA in the regular season ranked in the middle of the pack across baseball, and the lack of shutdown relief arms led to some blown games in the postseason. The Blue Jays bullpen posted a 4.44 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in their 18 playoff games, with a whopping 17 home runs given up. Left-handed relief was a particular concern due to Brendon Little's October struggles. Despite the emergence of rookie reliever Mason Fluharty, a veteran addition is likely in the cards heading into 2026.
