When the Blue Jays decided to non-tender closer Jordan Romano last month the prevailing sentiment was that there must have been some red flags in his medicals.
That assumption made sense considering Romano was coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him limited to 15 appearances. He underwent elbow surgery in early July and remains in the process of working his way back.
A healthy Romano would have been a potential bargain with a projected salary of $7.75 million (U.S.). A less than 100 per cent version would have provided enough justification to spend that money elsewhere. The Jays decided he wasn’t worth the price and walked away from the arbitration process entirely by granting him free agency.
General manager Ross Atkins was asked about Romano’s health during a media availability earlier this week. One option would have been sidestepping the question to avoid disparaging the reliever, but Atkins went a step further by providing a full-throated endorsement of Romano’s recovery.
“I have no concerns,” Atkins said about Romano’s medicals. “I feel like he will be back physically. We have no medical concerns.”
So, what’s the deal? Do the Jays truly believe Romano’s elbow won’t be an issue next season? Or is this some kind of smokescreen designed to curry favour with agents? Without seeing the medical charts, it’s hard to say, but I would bet on the latter because the former doesn’t make much sense.
Romano’s 2024 season became a lost cause, but prior to that he was one of the more effective bullpen arms in the majors. From 2021-23, he ranked fourth among American League relievers with a 2.27 ERA, fourth with 95 saves and only 20 pitchers logged more innings out of the bullpen. He sat 15th in FanGraphs’ wins above replacement at 3.8.
If Atkins can’t land outfielder Juan Soto, he might be remembered as the guy who waited for the star player who never arrived.
If Atkins can’t land outfielder Juan Soto, he might be remembered as the guy who waited for the star player who never arrived.
The Romano of old easily would have been worth his projected arbitration number, especially in a market where 36-year-old Aroldis Chapman just received $10.75 million from the Boston Red Sox. Since the start of 2020, Romano has a 2.56 ERA and 3.9 WAR across 214 1/3 innings, while Chapman has a 3.57 ERA and 3.5 WAR over 224 1/3. Romano is five years younger and only required a short-term commitment.Â
The numbers also compare favourably to Jays right-hander Chad Green, set to earn $10.5 million next year. During that same five-season span, Green produced a 3.32 ERA and 2.4 WAR across 189 2/3 innings. Despite the discrepancy, the Jays valued Green enough that they hung onto him at last year’s trade deadline before eventually letting Romano walk for nothing.
Atkins has left the door open for a Romano return at a discounted rate. If the medicals are an issue, perhaps he’ll be back on an incentive-laden deal. If they aren’t, Romano should have no problem finding more money elsewhere because the $7.75-million projection the Jays walked away from is much less than the going rate for a proven closer.
No offence, but ...
Unless the Jays shock the world by landing star free-agent outfielder Juan Soto, there’s a growing sense that the club will double down on prioritizing run prevention over run creation. That has been Atkins’ style each of the last two years, and based on his recent comments at the annual luncheon for the pc28¹ÙÍøchapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America it appears to remain the case.
“I would say probably right now, as it stands, we’re better situated offensively from the trade pieces we acquired last year,” Atkins said. ”(Pitching prospect) Jake Bloss is a very intriguing piece for us, but we acquired a good number of position players that have impact on both sides of the ball with upside. I think that group has more depth, and we see a good number of opportunities in both markets via free agency and trade.”
GM Atkins says the Jays are “better situated offensively” but he’s still trying to land the biggest bat available.
GM Atkins says the Jays are “better situated offensively” but he’s still trying to land the biggest bat available.
That’s a risky approach. The Jays’ production improved after Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido were inserted into the lineup, but only marginally so. They averaged 4.12 runs per game through July, which ranked 24th in the majors. Over the final two months, they averaged 4.19. The return of Bo Bichette from injury will help, and the addition of new hitting coach David Popkins might, too. But this lineup will remain average at best without the addition of some big bats.
The walking wounded
Atkins said this week that none of the injured Jays are behind schedule in off-season rehab. Bichette (fractured middle finger) and Wagner (left knee surgery) remain on track for opening day, while centre-fielder Daulton Varsho and right-hander Alek Manoah will remain out.
Varsho had rotator-cuff surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder and is targeting a return in late April or early May. Manoah, who had Tommy John elbow ligament surgery in mid-June, recently began a throwing program and was expected to miss 12 to 14 months. Loperfido and Jonatan Clase are options in centre during Varsho’s absence, while Bloss or Yariel Rodriguez would become the primary backup starting pitcher.
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