Jordan Romano’s 2024 season is formally over, as Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider instructed reporters (together with Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) Friday on that Romano gained’t be activated from the 60-day injured record earlier than the common season is out. The nearer underwent an arthroscopic surgical procedure on his proper elbow in early July that got here with a post-procedure shutdown of interval of a minimum of six weeks. That preliminary timeline has now stretched into September, and whereas Romano has resumed throwing, “it simply didn’t work out with the variety of video games we now have left and what he’s going to need to verify off the record as a way to get again,” Schneider mentioned.
The information closes the e-book on an altogether disastrous season for the 31-year-old, who posted a 6.59 ERA over solely 13 2/3 innings of Main League motion. Romano started the yr on the 15-day IL because of some elbow irritation that developed in Spring Coaching, and easily wasn’t very efficient as soon as he made his return to the mound in mid-April. His final look of the season got here on Might 29, as he returned to the 15-day IL shortly thereafter and there was some concern that Romano had a extra critical UCL-related harm earlier than it was determined that the arthroscopic surgical procedure was all that was required.
Schneider mentioned that Romano will maintain throwing and must be set for a traditional offseason, in order that a minimum of represents some excellent news on the longer-term well being entrance. Nevertheless, it naturally leaves Romano as one of many many query marks the Jays face for 2025 as they determine the right way to rebound from a really disappointing marketing campaign. The Blue Jays must overhaul a bullpen that was one of many worst in baseball, and determining the right way to strategy this overhaul is trickier because the membership doesn’t precisely know what it’s getting from its former nearer.
Davidi means that the Blue Jays might even think about non-tendering Romano if the group is simply too involved about his well being. This would appear like a reasonably aggressive transfer contemplating how effectively Romano pitched from 2020-23, and the right-hander isn’t overly costly on paper — Romano is getting into his closing yr of arbitration eligibility, and his lack of manufacturing in 2024 implies that he’ll obtain a reasonably minimal elevate over his present $7.75MM wage. That mentioned, the roughly $8MM Romano figures to land in 2025 wage might be put to raised use on relievers who’ve fewer harm considerations hanging over them heading into one other season. Pursuing a commerce (albeit a sell-low kind of commerce) or a non-tender may additionally be viable if Toronto doesn’t plan to retain Romano as soon as he turns into eligible without cost company.
