Phillies’ Romero Suspended 50 Games

TUESDAY, 11:17am: Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says he’s not dead set on replacing Romero with another lefty reliever.  The team has interest in several free agent relievers.

MONDAY, 9:26pm: The Philadelphia Phillies might need to pick up some help for their bullpen after reliever J.C. Romero found out he has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball.  Fortunately they signed Scott Eyre at the beginning of the offseason.

Romero failed a drug test, though he denies doing anything illegal. The MLB Players Association had told players that the supplement Romero took was acceptable, ESPN.com’s Peter Gammons reports.

"I still cannot see where I did something wrong," Romero told Gammons. "There is nothing that should take away from the rings of my teammates. I didn’t cheat. I tried to follow the rules."

Gammons notes that Romero will lose $1.25MM.  You can read the rest of the drama at ESPN.

The left-handed Romero, 33 in June, was an impact player in the Phillies’ bullpen in 2008. He went 4-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 81 appearances (59.0 innings). The Phillies could possibly explore the market for his replacement.