5 non-tendered players from other teams the Mets should sign

The non-tender deadline of 8 p.m. ET on Friday has officially passed, and many players across the league who were eligible for arbitration were not tendered guaranteed contracts for the 2025 season and became free agents. The New York Mets, who have some holes on the roster to fill, could be a big beneficiary of this non-tender wave of 30 arbitration-eligible players.

The Mets themselves announced on Friday that David Peterson, Paul Blackburn, Tyrone Taylor, Tylor Megill, Luis Torrens, and the recently-acquired Jose Siri were tendered contracts for 2025, while they signed Sean Reid-Foley to a contract to avoid arbitration, while they non-tendered Grant Hartwig, Alex Young, and Alex Ramirez.

1) Jordan Romano, RP

This was arguably the most notable name to be non-tendered on Friday. The Blue Jays chose not to give two-time All-Star reliever Jordan Romano a contract for the 2025 season after pitching in just 15 games this season due to elbow injuries after being overused. Romano had spent his entire career in his native country's MLB team and was instrumental in leading them to back-to-back postseason appearances in 2022 and 2023. His season-ending injury in May triggered the downfall of the Blue Jays and them finishing 14 games under .500.

Romano, when healthy, is one of the most electrifying relievers in the game, as he registered 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 2.90 ERA in 229.2 innings over his six years in Toronto. He averaged 96.4 mph on his fastball and 86.4 mph on what is a nasty slider last season in limited action. His ERA in 2024 was 6.59, but that won't deter many teams that would take a chance on him.

Romano would instantly become the set-up man for the Mets for Edwin Diaz should the Mets add him this offseason. and create a dynamic 1-2 punch in the back end of the Mets bullpen.

2) Jacob Webb, RP

The Baltimore Orioles' decision to cut relief pitcher Jacob Webb on Friday came as a surprise to some. Webb was such a solid reliever for Baltimore the past year and a half, as he registered a 3.09 ERA in 78.2 innings pitched, 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 125 ERA+ as an Oriole. Webb had spent time with the Braves and the Angels before the Orioles claimed him off waivers in August 2023, and stepped up in late inning situations with their bullpen ravaged by injuries last season.

Webb has above average stuff as a pitcher, but more specifically, he has a nasty changeup that wrecked his opposition last season, especially against left-handed hitters. Because of that changeup, lefties hit just .146 against him last season while righties batted .227. Webb also induces more soft contact than the average pitcher. However, his control could be an issue, as he has a career 11.1 percent walk rate.

Webb would represent an upgrade over what the Mets currently have in their bullpen, and would fit in nicely as a solid 7th inning man in the back end of the Mets bullpen.

3) Mike Tauchmann, OF

Mike Tauchman is one of many MLB players who spent a season of their careers in Korea (the KBO) and came back to MLB as better players. His season in Korea was in 2022, and has since followed with the best two-year stretch of his career with the Chicago Cubs, who non-tendered him on Friday.

With the Cubs over the past two years, he slashed .250/.360/.372 with a 106 OPS+ in 751 plate appearances. He gets on base, has become a more patient, disciplined hitter since returning from Korea, as his strikeout rate has been cut nearly in half, and is making more quality contact at the plate.

Defensively, Tauchman has played all three outfield positions and has a relatively strong arm, and his overall body of work ethic and general dependability make him a strong addition to the Mets and their culture.