The Reds announced that catcher Austin Romine has been released from his minor league deal. Romine inked his contract in December, re-signing with Cincinnati after initially being acquired from the Cardinals at last August’s trade deadline.
The release gives Romine a bit of extra time to try and land a new contract with another team, before another wave of players — Spring Training roster cuts, and the March 25 opt-out deadline for Article XX(b) free agents — hit the market as Opening Day approaches. Romine is one of those Article XX(b) players, and perhaps agreed to the early release since the Reds let him know in advance that he wouldn’t be breaking camp.
During a quiet offseason overall for the Reds, the team was relatively busy at the catcher position, signing Curt Casali and Luke Maile to guaranteed big league deals. Cincinnati plans to use both veteran backstops and Tyler Stephenson at catcher, with Stephenson seeing the majority of his time as a first baseman or DH in order to help him stay healthy. Between this trio and Chuckie Robinson (who also has some MLB experience) at Triple-A, there didn’t seem to be much room for Romine to make the roster.
A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, Romine has spent much of his career with the Yankees in a backup role, though Romine ended up getting a good chunk of playing time from 2017-19 as a defensive-minded fill-in for Gary Sanchez. Romine hasn’t hit much over his 484 games and 1449 career plate appearances, but as an experienced and respected backstop, the 34-year-old will surely get some looks from teams in need of extra catching depth.
Oh no.
Wow!
WOW
Romaine lettuce alone
Nothing says release like letting go of a head of ruffage…
Yankee reunion?
Oakland
They have injuries and need a backup- unfortunately he ain’t it.
No please.
With three catchers ahead of him, not surprised.
Oakland is looking for a back up catcher.
Retirement time. Yankees sign him for one more game against the Tigers and him and Miggy can go at it again then retire at the same time 😉
So much for the Reds winning the 2023 World Series.
Austin met with his agent and told him, Lettuce review our options”.
His career is on track to hit an iceberg.
The plan was for Romine to work with the Reds young pitchers. With Stephenson, Casali, & Maile at the ML level, it became about Williamson & Stoudt at Louisville. Williamson probably has earned that rotation job with Cincy, so little reason to keep Romine.
Him and his brother are both career minor leaguers in terms of talent that somehow got bench roles and actually made a decent amount of money.
I wouldn’t mind seeing him in Oakland.
He can back up Hedges in Pittsburgh and allow Rodriguez and Davis to get their minor league reps in this year.
Can plant Hedges and Romine behind the plate and have a garden full of Austins.
His pitching career was over the second he gave up a homer to Brock Holt, allowing Holt to hit for the cycle, during the ALDS, against the Red Sox. (lol)
To the Phillies to stick up on catching depth in the minors since Stubbs is a bit dinged up from the WBC.