Jordan Romano’s 2024 season is formally over, as Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider informed 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 no less than 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 now we have left and what he’s going to must test off the record as a way to get again,” Schneider stated.
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 severe UCL-related damage earlier than it was determined that the arthroscopic surgical procedure was all that was required.
Schneider stated that Romano will hold throwing and ought to be set for a traditional offseason, in order that no less than represents some excellent news on the longer-term well being entrance. Nonetheless, it naturally leaves Romano as one of many many query marks the Jays face for 2025 as they determine easy methods 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 easy methods to method 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 workforce is simply too involved about his well being. This would appear like a fairly aggressive transfer contemplating how properly Romano pitched from 2020-23, and the right-hander isn’t overly costly on paper — Romano is coming into his remaining yr of arbitration eligibility, and his lack of manufacturing in 2024 implies that he’ll obtain a fairly minimal elevate over his present $7.75MM wage. That stated, the roughly $8MM Romano figures to land in 2025 wage might be put to raised use on relievers who’ve fewer damage considerations hanging over them heading into one other season. Pursuing a commerce (albeit a sell-low sort 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 free of charge company.