Should Phillies seriously consider releasing reliever Jordan Romano?

Meanwhile, Bailey, a former first-round selection of the Giants in the 2020 MLB Draft, is batting just .194 on the season with 15 extra-base hits in 238 plate appearances.

The bad outings have begun piling up for Romano, and Tuesday's embarrassment shouldn't be written off so soon. His season ERA inflated to 7.44 following the loss. 

Outside of May, in which Romano posted a 2.53 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and struck out 17 batters in 10.2 innings, he's been a severe disappointment since joining Philadelphia.

The 32-year-old signed a one-year deal worth $8.5M with the Phillies in December after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Romano was once one of the premier closers in the league, saving 95 games from 2021-23 with Toronto, with a 2.37 ERA in 186 innings. However, he landed on the injured list in 2024 with right elbow inflammation and missed most of the campaign.

The Phillies knew they were taking a risk on him a year after he appeared in just 15 games, but nobody could've imagined it'd be quite this bad. 

Romano has been working to bring his ERA down since an abysmal showing against the Miami Marlins on April 19, when he allowed six runs on six hits in 0.2 innings. That ballooned his ERA to 15.26.

It's been a struggle for Romano to get back on track, surrendering a run or more in 11 of his 36 appearances. Tuesday night felt like rock bottom for Romano, and it sparked debate over whether he should be designated for assignment.

Some have been blaming manager Rob Thomson for poor management. Romano recorded two outs in the eighth and was brought back out to finish the game. Philadelphia already used all of its high-leverage arms, was down reliever Orion Kerkering and long man Joe Ross typically doesn't handle late-and-close situations.

Philadelphia is unlikely to DFA Romano. Its bullpen is already depleted, and it has no one to replace him immediately. Now, if the club acquires an arm or two at the deadline, Romano could prove to be the weakest link. If he's actively costing the Phillies wins, it's not unreasonable to eat the money he's owed and cut ties with him. 

The more probable outcome is simply moving Romano out of the closer's role and high-leverage scenarios. Let him see how he does as a low-leverage option. If he continues to fail, then parting ways with Romano should be seriously considered.