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Phillies Re-Sign J.C. Romero

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies have signed lefty reliever J.C. Romero to a three-year, $12MM deal.  There's a club option for a fourth year that would bring the total to $16.75MM.

This is a terrible signing.  Is it really this hard to find a competent lefty reliever?  The Phillies seem to be demonstrating an ignorance of basic pitching statistics.  Romero's contract is based on 36 innings.  I admit: Romero is fairly tough to hit, and he keeps the ball on the ground (which limits home runs). 

But his control is awful - he's walked almost five batters per nine innings in his career.  And while he has allowed fewer than a hit per inning in his career, his 2007 success with the Phillies is based on him allowing just 3.72 hits per nine innings.  Limiting hits to that degree is simply not a repeatable skill, and the Phils are paying him as if it is.   


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HAHAHA. Geez, is there a more headcase bullpen in the history of baseball than the Phils' right now? Man, that is really an awful signing. My guess is that they regret it about 2 months in.

I'm just glad that at one point my Twins were able to fleece the Angels for Alexi Casilla for him, who should be basically Luis Castillo in a couple of years.

WHEW!! Glad this occurred before Brian Sabean could offer him 20 mill...

True. JC Romero, if nothing else, is a "vet."

haha

so... adding a silva or other starter to the rotation just got that much harder

I wouldn't want this guy in my bullpen for free. He had an outstanding year last year. Paying him like that's his norm is silly.

In all fairness to the Phillies, he was an above average reliever in 2002.

Whatever smack talk y'all have to throw out there, J.C Romero was absolutely essential the Red Sox run this year. Thank you J.C. Take your ring smelt it or be dealt.

Really, really didn't want to see the third year. Let alone an option for a fourth.

this is why the phillies aren't going to be much of a longterm threat in the nl east

You have to ask yourself. This is a deal offered before Free Agency starts?

What happens when multiple teams start bidding?

A-Rod could get 20years.

Do you people understand he was the best FA non closer RP in the league? This is a what have you done lately sport. Well, a LEFTY who had a 1.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .130 BAA is pretty dominate. Doesn't matter what he has done over his career, its what he is doing now. Maybe you guys just didn't see him pitch, but he was pretty dominate and if that continues, its a steal.

Tim has a good point, sure if he replicate that kind of season, then it's awesome but it's impossible to continue to allow only 3.7 hits per 9 innings, nobody can repeatedly do that.

Wonder what Scott Linebrink gets now.

Phillyrocks, I believe that title easily goes to Scott Downs. His ERA is only 0.25 higher but he had far better WHIP, more holds and much more importantly, a sustainable BAA.

your statistics reveal valuable points but from a public relations standpoint and for the phillies bullpen this isn't a terrible move (not great either). Romero was easily the best guy coming out of the bullpen besides myers last year. in fact he was the only shred of decency in that bullpen outside of myers. the average philly fan wanted him signed and would be asking why if he weren't signed. they need some more pitching but this and lidge might represent their biggest moves this off season. my prediction is he has a decent year, not 1.5 era but i'd say sub 4.00. which is a hell of a year in that philly bullpen. they really limited his action last year, it will be interesting to see if they just stick with him to get out of some bad innings instead of bringing in gordon, or alfonseca. hope theyre continually active and bring in a decent 3b, another arm bullpen or starting, and a third outfielder who can play everyday. but i have a feeling, wirth and dobbs will platoon, helms will stay, and some relievers will be too pricey.

OK, the writer of this column definately did not watch many Phillies games down the stretch last year. He is one of the main reasons they are the defending NL East champs!

And to say this is an awful signing is one of the most ludacris things I have EVER seen posted on this site.

In the NL last year his ERA was 1.24! He gave up 15 hits in 36.1 Innings!!!

All you others critisizing this move go see what your bullpen people have done.

The anti Phillies slant reigns again, well we will see you in the World Series next year.

Wow.

No wonder there hasn't been a title in Philadelphia in a quarter century.

Management there has to try to placate the rabid, ignorant fans that populate the city.

Sure, Romero hasn't even been decent over a full season in about five years. And sure, he gave up an absurdly low level of hits per 9, better than Johann Santana or Walter Johnson or anyone else who's ever pitched more than a few dozen innings in a season.

But, hey, all that matters is NOW!!1!!! and he pitched 36 good innings, so PHILYY WE'RE GOING TO THE SERIES WOOO!1!1!!eleven!

I'm going to stay as silent as possible as this one.

And cry that thousands of baseball fans across the country are more knowledgable than Pat Gillick.

LOL Reflection!!! YOur hysterical!

I think if you read my comment I said take a look at your bullpen and see if anyone of ur pitchers compares to Romero's numbers in the second half last year. Facts are facts!

Ahhhhh I love anti Philly bias, always fune to hear!!!

Anyone who thinks this isn't a horrible signing, please read through the comments here:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/11/phillies-close-.html#comments

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Some Philly fans are actually HAPPY about this signing?

Too funny.

You won't be so happy about 2 months into this season.

Trust me; a lot of us have seen Romero's extended act before. With the Twins he went something like 40 innings straight without allowing an earned run. But he was still garbage on the whole. Just wait Philly fans, just wait.

I have watched JC Romero pitch. I have watched him a lot. I saw him run his ERA over 6 as a member of an elite bullpen in Anaheim.

He is a headcase. I'll take his other 450 innings as a better barometer than his 36 innings in Philly. You will be very lucky to see him post ERA's under 4.00 for the duration of his contract.

Thank you BJ.

As I said, I'm just happy we were able to get Casilla from you guys for Romero when we did.

Not that you guys needed Casilla; you obviously are deep in MI depth. But it's pretty amazing to think that the Twins starting 2b/SS/3b this year seriously might be Casilla/Bartlett/Macri, who were acquired for JC Romero/Brian Buchanan/Ramon Ortiz!

Think about that for a second. WOW!

LOL this is like trying to say the Mets bullpen was seven deep in 2007 because of the big contracts given to Scott Shoeneweiss and Guillermo Mota. They both had a good quarter seasons after moving to the NL in 2006 to get their fat paychecks (granted Romero's was more like a half-season). Boy did those moves pay off for the Mets.

Besides, who's he really expected to shut down? Philly already has the two biggest lefty threats in the NL East. He'll be used for one batter against the Mets: Carlos Delgado. I somehow doubt he'll be left in for Moises Alou. Maybe two against the Braves: Brian McCann and Kelly Johnson.

I can't wait to see all the offseason Eagle fans (ie Phillie fans) puking up their cheesesteaks when Romero starts walking in runs and loading the bases with less than two outs.

"This is a what have you done lately sport"

For a relief pitcher, three years from now will have very little to do with what he has done lately. I implore you to find a comparable example to what Romero did for the Phils in 2007 that lasted three full seasons. In fact, I implore you to find any Middle Reliever who has been reasonably consistent for three straight seasons. Its not impossible, but its not particularly common, and Romero has never done it.

For someone who you'll be lucky to have give you 70 innings over the course of an entire season, this is a silly amount of money. You have to realize that $4 million for a season of relief pitching is approximately comparable to $12 million for a SP. Both will make about $55,000-60,000 per inning, and that's if they reach the high end of the IP threshhold (70+ for a reliever and 190+ for a SP). Is that really what you want to be paying for a guy who historically jumps seemlessly from 3.00 ERAs to 6.00 ERAs from year to year?

Anyone defending this signing has blinders on.

He got paid only because of what he has done lately not what he is going to do in the future.

He'll probably be serviceable strictly as a LOOGY. But that's not even a gaurantee.

This a great move by the Phils...I know he walks a lot of batters, but the bottom line is that he doesn't let up many runs. Period.

Oh, and he only gave up 5 hits to left handed batters as a Phillie. How many lefties can say that?

He didn't (not "doesn't") give up many runs because:

a) unsustainably low BABIP
b) unsustainably low BAA with RISP
c) unsustainably high LOB%

He's the poster child for the role luck plays in baseball, and the Phils are looking like the fools here. Smart GMs must be laughing their heads off.

Well, the 3 years is definitely a kick in the pants. 2-8 would have made me rest a little easier. I will say that as a Phillies fan, I do like the fact that he'll be in the bullpen, unsustainable success rates (with which I agree) or no.

I would say that I'd clearly prefer Affeldt, but his stat line isn't all that different...33 BBs in 59 innings himself.

I guess the lesson here is that any veteran shortman on the market is going to have his share of warts, so you're better off growing you're own

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