"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 200.2 innings with 251 strikeouts and 75 walks."
"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 13 2/3 innings -- or trade him, Toronto declining to offer Romano a contract led to his free agency."
"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."
"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."
Collection
[
|
...
]