TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are in the market for a new closer after announcing on Friday that they’re not tendering a contract to Jordan Romano, per a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Blue Jays’ decision to non-tender Romano, projected to make $7.75 million next season, per MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration salary projections, isn’t wholly surprising after the 31-year-old missed nearly all of the 2024 campaign with an elbow impingement that eventually required season-ending surgery.
There is, in theory, a pathway for the Blue Jays to try to bring Romano back on a deal less than the nearly $8 million he was due to make in arbitration. The Blue Jays are the only big-league team he’s ever pitched for, and there could be a desire on Romano’s part to remain with the organization he’s comfortable with, especially as he attempts to return from injury. But as a free agent, Romano could explore the market to see if he can cash-in as a high-risk, high-reward candidate for a team looking for relief help.
If this move does mark the end for Romano in Toronto, it closes what’s been a largely successful chapter for the homegrown player who transformed from a minor-league starter into one of the game’s best closers for a period between 2021-23. During that span, he amassed 95 saves, fourth-most among all relievers, had a 2.37 ERA and was a two-time All-Star. Romano’s 105 saves ranks third-most in franchise history behind only Tom Henke (217) and Duane Ward (121).
The Blue Jays selected Romano, who grew up in nearby Markham, Ont., in the 10th round in the 2014 draft. The Canadian steadily rose up through Toronto’s system as a starting pitcher. Ahead of the 2019 season, Romano briefly exited the organization after he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Chicago White Sox who immediately traded him to the Texas Rangers.
He spent spring training with the Rangers, auditioning for their bullpen but was one of the final cuts of camp, leading to his return to the Blue Jays. That proved to be a fortuitous development for Toronto.
During the 2019 season, Romano became a full-time reliever and made his debut with the Blue Jays on June 12, pitching a scoreless seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles. The following season, he stuck with the MLB club full time, posting a 1.23 ERA in 14 2/3 innings in the shortened 2020 season.
But 2021 was when Romano truly established himself as Toronto’s closer, earning 23 saves with a 2.14 ERA in 63 innings pitched.
The right-hander remained in the ninth-inning role for the following two seasons, growing into one of the faces of the franchise, partly owing to his local roots as a kid who grew up a Blue Jays fan.
But after his multi-season run of success, things didn’t go as planned for Romano in 2024. The closer began the season on the IL and when he returned a few weeks into the year, he was far from the dominant closer he had been, pitching to a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. Romano returned to the IL in May with right elbow inflammation and in July, he had arthroscopic surgery to repair an elbow impingement.
Despite an attempt to rehab the elbow and return to the mound, Romano ran out of time to recover and finished the season on the IL after making only 15 appearances.
Following the season, there was a hint Romano’s time with the Blue Jays could be coming to an end when general manager Ross Atkins responded, “I don’t know,” when he was asked if Romano would be the closer in 2025.
“He’s got to come back and be the pitcher (he was),” Atkins said later, expanding on his answer. “I don’t want to just lay my head on the pillow and say, ‘OK, that’s covered.’ I want to be open to it, depending upon his return, depending upon how he’s feeling. But I believe he will. I believe he can.”
Clearly, however, the front office’s wavering faith in Romano’s ability to return healthy and effective made them unwilling to commit close to $8 million to the former closer.
Updates on other contract tender deadlines to still to come.
(Photo of Romano: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
