Blue Jays non-tender long-time closer Romano, who will become free agent
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The Toronto Blue Jays are letting go of a fan favourite.
Closer Jordan Romano was non-tendered by his hometown team ahead of Friday's deadline, sending him into free agency in what would have been his final off-season of arbitration eligibility.
The Blue Jays also non-tendered reliever Dillon Tate, who pitched in four games for Toronto down the stretch. The team also announced on Friday that they agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3 million with relief pitcher Erik Swanson. Swanson struggled mightily early on, holding a 9.22 earned run average when he was demoted to the minors on May 27. After returning to the bullpen on July 20, the 31-year-old held a 2.55 ERA down the stretch.
Romano's departure comes after an ugly 2024 for the Markham, Ont. native, one that saw him pitch to a 6.59 ERA and 1.46 WHIP with just eight saves. Injuries clearly took a toll on the 31-year-old, who appeared in just 15 games and had arthroscopic surgery to strengthen an impingement on his elbow, ending his season on July 2. The plan was originally to shut Romano down for six weeks, but he did not progress to where he was able to make a return and was officially ruled out for the season in early September.
TSN Blue Jays Reporter Scott Mitchell noted earlier this month that the roughly $7.75 million Romano was projected to earn next season as estimated by MLB Trade Rumours could be spread out to other areas of the roster in need. It's also possible Romano could also return to the Jays on a different deal.
But if this is the end of his tenure north of the border, he will go down as one of the better relievers in team history.
Romano ranks third all-time in saves (105) by a Blue Jay, trailing only Tom Henke (217) and Duane Ward (121). He had been rock solid prior to last season, posting a 2.29 ERA in 199 appearances made from 2020 to 2023 with 251 strikeouts in 200.2 innings pitched.
The Oral Roberts University product made his big league debut in June of 2019 and has spent his entire six-year MLB career with Toronto.