I can't believe that the 105SV+155km fastball closure is released "without conditions"... Former teammate Ryu Hyun-jin became an FA a year earlier
I can't believe that the 105SV+155km fastball closure is released "without conditions"... Former teammate Ryu Hyun-jin became an FA a year earlier
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Right-hander fastball fireballer closer Jordan Romano (31), who throws a fastball up to 100 miles per hour (about 160.9 kilometers), was finally released from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Major League Baseball's official website MLB.com released a list of 62 non-tenders (released without conditions) from 30 clubs on the 23rd (Korea time).
Initially, the clubs had to fix their contracts for the next season through salary adjustment with the players concerned by January 10. If they had no intention of adjusting their salaries, they had to release them as they were. They became free agents like that.
Romano joined Toronto in the 10th round of the 메이저놀이터 Major League Rookie Draft in 2014 and made his big league debut for the first time in 2019. He took wrap-up classes in his second year and secured 20 saves for three consecutive years starting in 2021, keeping the back door open for Toronto. He is also familiar to Korean baseball fans as a teammate of Ryu Hyun-jin (37) of the Hanwha Eagles.
In 2022, he was also selected as the first All-Star in 63 games with 5 wins, 4 losses and 36 saves, a 2.11 ERA, and 73 strikeouts in 64 innings. He was an attractive pitcher with a fast fastball of up to 100 miles and a 90-mile slider (about 144.8 kilometers). His overall performance was 20 wins, 17 losses, 105 saves, a 2.90 ERA, and 285 strikeouts in 229 ⅔ innings.
Romano, who was able to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, became a free agent a year earlier. He has been suffering from minor injuries since last year, but has not been able to play in the opening game this year due to back injury since the spring camp. In June, he was listed as injured due to elbow injury, and was finally out for the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. This year's record is one win and two losses with a 6.59 ERA in 15 games.
Romano's annual salary this year was 7.75 million dollars. Toronto had no reason to pay an annual salary of nearly 8 million dollars to a player who will become a free agent after the 2025 season.
However, he is still considered an attractive pitcher as he has a fastball fast enough to reach 96.4 miles per hour (about 155.1 kilometers) this year. MLB.com cited Romano as one of eight non-tender players attracting attention as an FA and said, "Romano played as Toronto's closing pitcher in the 2021-2023 season, recording 95 saves, 2.37 ERA, and 11.1 strikeouts per 9 innings."
Another U.S. media outlet, MLB Trade Rumors, also noted, "Toronto was not happy to pay nearly $8 million in annual salary to a player in need of a rebound," but added, "For a team in need of a bullpen, Romano will be the most interesting target of a low point purchase."