The Yankees have signed right-hander Sal Romano to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, per an announcement from the RailRiders (Twitter link). He became a free agent earlier this week after being outrighted by the Reds.
Romano had pitched in fourteen games for Cincinnati this year, his most extensive MLB work since 2018. Over 20 2/3 relief innings, Romano pitched to a 5.23 ERA with a poor 13.2% strikeout rate and an average 9.9% walk percentage. The 27-year-old has never missed many bats, and he’s bottomed out in that regard this year; Romano’s 5.1% swinging strike rate is tied for 240th among 244 relievers with at least ten innings pitched. He also didn’t come out of the gates with his typical velocity; Romano has averaged 93.3 MPH on his sinker this season, down about two ticks from his previous levels.
Tough start aside, there’s little harm for the Yankees in bringing Romano in as a non-roster depth option. He has a solid 3.94 ERA in 118 2/3 career innings at Triple-A, where he’s struck out a more impressive 21.1% of opposing hitters. The Yankee bullpen has been among the league’s best, but New York remains without Zack Britton and Darren O’Day due to injury.
Can we just stop pretending Sal Romano and Sal Fasano are different people? They are both in baseball and their names are clearly too similar for them to actually be different in any way. Clearly Sal Fasano has switched identities and is making an ill fated attempt to restart his major league career in his 50’s. He’s only doing this so he can lie about his age and people will give him a chance. Albert Pujols taught him how to do it.
No mustache, no 40-man spot!
You could be a roving catching instructor for the Blue Jays and Yankees minor leaguer at the same time. No one would notice.
Albert Pujols is actually Roberto Clemente. Shhh!
Sal Fasano suited up for the Yankees = )
I’m sure he’s thrilled to be going to a team that plays home games in a “pitcher’s park” (if he gets called up)
This is the name of a 1950s Yankees’ relief pitcher
Definitely. His wife is probably named Cathy or Margaret or something.
Martha
“He also didn’t come out of the gates with his typical velocity”
I guess the Yankees can’t expect as much Romano cheese then.
Best comment.
Reds fan here..he can be okay in middle innings but can be up & down.
Is he a reclaim (We Can Fix Him) project? Is he a 26 man one gamer who can comfortably be DFA’d afterwards? Is he minors depth in anticipation of a trade of better talent? Is he an in-law of someone in the Yankee organization? Inquiring minds want to know.
Not bad for a 25th round draft choice in 2011. Only a few guys made it to the majors that round, one of them was Cody Allen. Who just retired.
Huh.
I guess I am growing concerned about a couple of MLBTR’s finest. Where has @very berry & all his extra exclamation points & question marks gone? Ya know: ” The Yankees are a dumpster fire!!!!!!!!”. Or Samuel & his HOTTAKEs? Ya know: “I posted a week ago that the Orioles are better than the Yankees. I stand by that.”
A few Yankee threads & they are conspicuously absent.
Oh.
Wait.
They are white sox fans, aren’t they.
Probably pouring their sad little hearts out to their Tony La Russa posters.
Go Yanks.
& welcome aboard Sal (not Fasano) Romano.
Are you referring to the half-game out of 1st place in the American League Yankees?
:thinking emoji:
Choo Choo.
The train is rolling.
Faster than the white sox fans can say, “awww, Bummer” they are swept outta The City. Gosh. We sure rubbed their naughty little noses right in it.
I bet those La Russa posters are really going to hear it tonight, uh?