Former Blue Jay Jordan Romano signs a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies

Romano is a Markham, Ontario native and was selected in the 10th round of the 2014 draft by the Blue Jays. Romano began his career as a starter but transitioned to the bullpen in 2019 a year after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft and later returned.

It was there where the right-handed reliever found his success. After a rough 2019 season posting a 7.63 ERA and a 6.41 FIP in 15.1 innings pitched, Romano broke out in 2020, authoring a 1.23 ERA and a 3.12 FIP in 14.2 innings pitched.

Romano became the team’s full-time closer in 2021, finishing the year with a 2.14 ERA and a 3.15 FIP in 63 innings pitched, with a 33.6 K% and a 9.9 BB%. Moreover, he saved 23 games in 24 opportunities. His first full season as the team’s closer was in 2022, where he had a 2.11 ERA and a 2.82 FIP in 64 innings pitched, with a 28.3 K% and an 8.1 BB%. On top of that, Romano saved 36 of 42 opportunities.

The good times kept rolling in 2023, albeit Romano took a step back, as he had a 2.90 ERA and a 3.46 FIP in 59 innings pitched, with a 29 K% and a 9.7 BB%. Moreover, he saved 36 of 40 opportunities.

However, Romano’s 2024 season was a disaster. He started the season on the Injured List due to an elbow injury, and once he returned, he had a 6.59 ERA and a 6.17 FIP in 13.2 innings pitched. In early July, he was shut down for a few months, which ended up being the rest of the season, due to arthroscopic surgery to repair an impingement in his throwing elbow, not Tommy John surgery.

Although the Blue Jays had one more season of team control, they decided to non-tender him, likely due to the elbow, making him a free agent. It’s a sad end to his Blue Jay career, as Romano only pitched three innings in the postseason, despite the Blue Jays looking like a contender from 2021 until 2023.

The Blue Jays have to rebuild their bullpen from the ground up, as their relievers in 2024 were statistically the worst in the league. What happens next is anyone’s guess.