Jordan Romano had an ERA of 4.13 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 2018 with the Blue Jays Double-A affiliate. He finished last season in Triple-A. The Rangers plan on moving him from a started to the bull pen. He will compete for a job in the spring.
“He has started, but we’re going to give him an opportunity to win a bullpen spot,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said according to T.R. Sullivan. “He is certainly capable of being stretched out and giving multiple innings. We have seen him in shorter stints, and his stuff has played up.”
If Romano does not make the 25 man roster out of spring training or gets sent down during the season, the Rangers will have to offer him back to the Blue Jays. It is a similar arrangement to what they had with Carlos Tocci in 2018. Romano has a good chance of making the team because he features a good fastball and a nice slider. His secondary pitch is said to be very sharp and hard to hit.
If I were to guess, I would say the Rangers want to see what Jordan Romano can do during spring training before they make a decision on him, but if he can impress he should stay with the team the whole year. The Rangers are definitely looking to go young in 2019. Romano would be a good addition to the pen. Especially since they let Reed Garrett go.
