Closer Jordan Romano signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team announced Monday, fortifying a bullpen that served as a strength during the regular season but crumbled in the playoffs.
The deal is worth $8.5 million, according to multiple reports.
Romano, 31, was nontendered by the Toronto Blue Jays after an injury-riddled year that ended with him undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow. Over the prior four seasons, Romano had been one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, posting a 2.29 ERA in 200⅔ innings with 251 strikeouts and 75 walks. The deal is pending a physical.
Rather than go to arbitration with Romano -- where his salary was projected to remain around the $7.75 million he earned this year after posting a 6.59 ERA in 13⅔ innings -- or trade him, Toronto declining to offer Romano a contract led to his free agency.
"Everyone loves him," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "I spoke to him after we non-tendered him, and he understood it. Very professional about it. I haven't heard back from him yet today, but he was great. He was kind of what we stood for in how he went about his business, the teammate that he was, the intensity in which he competed with."
Philadelphia pounced quickly, looking to replace All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman and right-hander Carlos Estevez, who reached free agency. Romano will join a bullpen that returns All-Star Matt Strahm, right-hander Orion Kerkering and hard-throwing lefties Jose Alvarado and Gregory Soto.
After winning the National League East with a 95-67 record, the Phillies got bounced in their first playoff series against the New York Mets, who finished six games behind them in the division. The Phillies blew leads in the sixth inning or later in three of the series' four games. Philadelphia entered the winter looking to shake up its roster, and though no trades have materialized, the Phillies saw a high-upside opportunity with Romano.
While his health will determine his effectiveness -- "We have no medical concerns" about Romano, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said last week -- the two-time All-Star combines a fastball that sits 95 to 97 mph with a swing-and-miss slider he throws about half the time. If that level of stuff shows up in spring training, Romano could be in line for save opportunities, with manager Rob Thomson this season using eight different relievers to close games.
Over his six-year career, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Romano has saved 105 games with 285 strikeouts and 88 walks in 229⅔ innings. From 2021 to 2023, Romano earned the most Baseball-Reference wins above replacement of any reliever in baseball, with 7.4, more than one WAR ahead of second-place Devin Williams.