The Blue Jays didn’t make Jordan Romano a contract offer before the closer was non-tendered this week, the Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm reports. This apparent lack of interest in retaining Romano at any price (let alone his projected $7.75MM arbitration salary) probably closes the door on any chance of a reunion between Romano and the Jays, so the two-time All-Star will almost surely be pitching elsewhere in 2025. It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Romano was non-tendered, given his high price tag and the uncertainty over his health situation after his injury-riddled 2024 campaign.
Romano didn’t pitch after May 29 and he underwent an arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in July. As Chisholm notes, Romano told the Toronto Star’s Mike Wilner earlier in November that he was soon going to start throwing off a mound, and “that he was feeling great” in the recovery from his surgery. While more specifics on Romano’s health are sure to emerge over the offseason, it is clear that the Jays didn’t share the reliever’s confidence in his elbow. Finding a new closer is now the latest item on Toronto’s lengthy winter to-do list, and the Jays already had a lot of work to do in fixing a bullpen that was one of baseball’s worst last season.
More from around the AL East….
- The Yankees are open to a reunion with Jonathan Loaisiga, though Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reports that the Bombers are one of 14 teams that have shown interest in the reliever. Loaisiga has pitched only 21 2/3 big league innings over the last two seasons, as elbow problems (including a bone spur removal surgery) limited him to 17 2/3 frames in 2023, and he tossed only four innings before a UCL surgery brought his 2024 season to a quick end. Loaisiga’s procedure wasn’t a Tommy John procedure, and he was throwing from 90-foot distances for scouts earlier this week, with the Yankees among the clubs with an evaluator on hand. All 163 of Loaisiga’s MLB games have come in a Yankees uniform, so the team has plenty of familiarity with the right-hander’s ability when healthy, and also the inside scoop on his health status. Signing Loaisiga wouldn’t be expensive for the Yankees or any team that might offer him a contract this winter, making him an interesting buy-low candidate on the bullpen market.
- Austin Hays was traded from the Orioles to the Phillies prior to the trade deadline, but now that Hays is a free agent after being non-tendered, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com thinks there’s a chance Hays could return to Baltimore. Hays had an injury-plagued 2024 season that included a severe kidney infection that emerged during his time in Philadelphia, and he wound up with a below-average 98 wRC+ from a .255/.303/.396 slash line in 255 total plate appearances. The outfielder was significantly better both offensively and defensively during the 2021-23 seasons when healthy, and Baltimore has a clear need for right-handed hitting outfielders (and right-handed hitting in general).
- It remains to be seen if the Rays will ever again play at Tropicana Field, but for at least the 2025 season, the club will play at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The move will impact the Rays’ roster construction plans, as some adjustment is naturally necessary simply by dint of the fact that the Rays will now be playing outdoors during the Florida summer rather than within the confines of a domed stadium. With multiple rainouts now a likelihood, president of baseball operations Erik Neander is looking to add multi-inning pitching depth at both the Major and minor league levels. As Neander told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, “it’s…making sure that we can protect our arms and maneuver the roster in a way where if a game gets disrupted and delayed after two innings and you lose a starter, and then you’ve got to cover four or five [innings] as it comes back before you can go to the bullpen, that you have the ability to maneuver day to day as needed, to cover that and do it in a way that’s responsible for the well-being of the group.” More pitching will also be needed since the Stein is expected to be a much more hitter-friendly environment than the Trop, though the Rays’ own hitters can also benefit from the situation.
Romano was brilliant go to CL for yrs
Stunning downfall but thats the life of a RP
Dudes elbow has been hanging by a thread for years
I never cared for Romano unfairly bc of his crazy sister.
Romano has crazy eyes so it doesn’t surprise that he has a crazy sister. I will never forget the look on his face as he watches the aftermath of the collision between Bo and Springer in the playoff comeback win by the Mariners.
Phillies, Twins, Red Sox?
Rays
99.9% positive he becomes an angel
His history just screams angels kind of like Robert Stephenson
Makes one wonder just how bad the elbow is. I got to watch one of his rehab sessions, Trackman and all, at TD Ballpark before a Low A game this spring. He looked decent then but knows what happened to the elbow.
Orioles should take a flier on Romano …he does not need to be the Closer….but he would lengthen the bullpen and solidify it…if he can be ready by Spring Training
Idk. They have budget concerns. Romero is still going to command a salary. Prob wiser to spend else where
You could probably get Romero for the league minimum. He hasn’t pitched in a long time.
He says he’s healthy so he will be able to showcase that health in front of scouts and if he shows his stuff that for him two all star nods, some team will take a chance and pay him several million.
Hats is a really good bounce back candidate. I think whoever signs him will be happy.
Romano is a fascinating wild card.
My guess is Romano is done. He’ll probably get a deal full of incentives, pitch 10 innings and get dfa’d, bounce around a few teams and ultimately released.
Yeah. Toronto knows his medicals best and they are moving on.
Hays’ play compliments Mullins’. That alone is worth a look see to the Orioles. But, seems he’s always had health issues not just in 24. And it was all kinds of random illness and injury scenarios which kept him off the field especially 2nd half of seasons. That alone is a red flag to pass.
I say pass. We already know Hays. You get a partial season out of him and then you get a long slump and an injury. The Orioles can do much more with valuable roster spots than that.
The Yankees are open to a reunion with Jonathan Loaisiga so they can overuse and abuse him some more. Oh boy.
Yeah that one season out of 7 in which they forced him to pitch more than 48 innings had to be rough.
If I was Rays Owner i wouldve played this Season in Montreal
And if it went well moved them there fulltime with a New Stadium deal.
Feel sorry for the Rays and their fans that they have to sit out their in that heat and humidity from May til September.
I totally agree. Plus how great would it be to have 2 Canadian teams in the same division, might create a new rivalry.
@junior as a long time Ranger fan it will be so miserable for them.
Montreal said no they are in the beginning stages of fixing up the Big Owe.
No can do. They’d be playing in a parking lot or something. Olympic Stadium is unavailable and there are, to my knowledge, no other suitable parks in Montreal.
Jarry Park is out, too. It was reconfigured for tennis, if I remember correctly.
As someone who lives in Florida during the summer, I would’ve played out this season in Montreal too. No way you can pay me to have a heat stroke in Steinbreiner while watching a game in July or August.
They can’t play in Montreal until at least 2028. The stadium’s beginning a four year $870 million replacement of the roof. The new roof will be translucent, but not retractable..
The stadium’s also not nearly in MLB-ready condition. Part of it is now an office complex, and the seating around what used to be the playing field has been (somewhat) reconfigured for other types of events since the Expos left.. The deal to replace the roof took seven years to get to the point where it’s going to happen, so if the Rays think they’d get public money to either bring the Owe up to 21st century MLB-standards or get a new stadium in Montreal, they’re wrong.
I’m not for them long term relocating, but short term to let the fans know what they are missing makes sense.
The liberal freaks in St Pete are very vocal that the money shouldn’t be spent on sports. They want arts and another San Francisco (without sports) on the East Coast.
I saw the last election results out of Florida, not seeing the liberal freaks living in Florida. Looked like a lot of red on that map. I thought it was tight a$$ republicans that don’t want to pay taxes for anything. You remember tea bags on the hats and stuff, right??
Tea bags and d bags alike lol
Olympic stadium is closed until 28
Olympic Stadium in Montreal is already closed for renovations, so it wasn’t an option for the Rays.
I have a feeling that Jordan Romano will be a cub.
Pearson, merryweather, Romano back end, courtesy of the jays
Sounds absolutely terrible lol. As a reds fan, I hope so
Wouldn’t worry too much about the reds playing many close games next year for it to matter
They will be much better with a yuge upgrade at manager ! They fired David Bell, who has no business in any role in mlb. Did you see where he ended up btw ? lolz
Yes, Atkins will spend wisely on an all glove utility infielder. Can’t have enough of those
He could also mix things up and grab an all glove utility outfielder. Really lock down the versatility on the roster.
Let’s not forget about trading any hitting and high end prospects we have left for a glove first CF to play LF.
Little surprised still that Hays wasn’t tender-traded.
Was projected to make $5-6M and Phillies didn’t see him as worth it when they need an everyday OFer, not another platoon guy. They have enough of them at AAA
Y’all are too much lol. Where’s the offseason optimism!? If he goes and gets 2 quality relievers quickly, that’ll be the perfect start to the offseason
@Big whiffa
They need 3 to 4 relievers, 3B, a RHH OF, MiLB depth, a couple of power bats and maybe a SP. Most of the players they have in the minors can be picked up on the MLB waiver wire.
Picking up a pair of quality relievers isn’t even the beginning of the start.
To, be, fair.
Dear Rays, could we interest you in this nice man named Marcus? We wouldn’t even require much back.
Call us!
-Cashguy
Hays would have to swallow his pride this time around and accept the platoon role. Maybe he’ll stay healthy that way… or at least not be subject to low and away sliders so much. O’s already have Mountcastle
Romano is a top 5 candidate for comeback player of the year 2025.
I think the Rays rainout situation is overblown. Our spring summer rains come and go quickly. I see a lot of delays but not many cancellations unless you are talking September hurricanes. The bigger issue is the fan experience because there just isn’t enough cover for 11,000 fans at Steinbrenner Field and some will get soaked.
It’s more the heat than rain isn’t it ?
Yes. It will be hot and humid in Florida in August.
Do they really call that field the Stein? Not bad as nicknames go. Beats the Trop.
Hays was more than eager to bad mouth the Orioles after his trade to Philly. He was clearly bitter about it, and it gave some insight into the kind of person he is. The Os don’t need that in the clubhouse.
That is a made up fan narrative, the real reason not to bring him back is that he just isn’t very good.