DECEMBER 25: The BayStars have announced their agreement with Romero (h/t to the Japan Times). It’s a one-year deal with a club option for 2022. Romero will reportedly make $724,000 next season.
DECEMBER 18, 7:03pm: Romero will sign with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets. The Twins will receive roughly $300K in return.
DECEMBER 18, 4:15pm: The Twins activated right-hander Fernando Romero from the restricted list and then released him, Chris Miller of the Star Tribune reports. Romero, who is from the Dominican Republic, was unable to secure a visa to the United States last season.
This is certainly not the way the Twins expected their relationship with Romero to end, as he was among their top prospects for multiple seasons. Baseball America ranked Romero as the Twins’ sixth-best farmhand in 2018 and wrote that he could turn into a second or third starter “if he can round out his third pitch.”
The 25-year-old Romero did collect 11 starts with the Twins from 2018-19, during which he averaged about 96 mph on his fastball, but the results weren’t great. He combined for 69 2/3 innings during those seasons and recorded a 5.17 ERA/4.49 FIP with 8.14 K/9, 3.88 BB/9 and a 47.4 percent groundball rate. Romero has been better in Triple-A ball, where he owns a 3.88 ERA and has registered 8.0 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in 148 1/3 innings. It’s likely some other team will take a chance on him now that he’s available to sign.
Phillies should be in on him
If he can make it back to the states, he definitly has that shutdown closer arsnel if he can control it.
He’s never really had good control and he doesn’t tend to get out of jams very well. I wonder why he couldn’t get a visa. You hear players delayed getting visas but its rare to miss the entire season, even during a pandemic.
You’re not wrong, but I don’t forsee a rebound here. Phillies need better arms than Romero.
Are the Blue Jays in on him….?
Boom!
Activated, released, then the Twins compensated with 300k? Interesting.
Why was he unable to secure a visa? Wouldn’t that imply he a criminal record?
because this was a totally normal year and no one’s travel was restricted for any reason
I thought the visa issues were a few months before COVID? I could be wrong and ovbisously it’s way harder to get a visa right now, but I remember them saying he might not be back in like mid-early Feburary.
you’re right, but i can imagine the issue could have been exacerbated by later border restrictions. the initial report said it was something relating to documents, so it may have been something that would have resolved earlier but got backed up by the pandemic.
All this might be completely true, but why haven’t we heard about a slew of other players from the Dominican Republic not obtaining visas? If it was all about COVID or border restrictions certainly nearly every player from the DR would be having problems like Romero. I believe I read something a little while back that somewhere around 10% of all MLB players hail from DR and hundreds more are in the minors of every team. What’s happening with them? I suspect there’s more than this beyond COVID & health department border issues.
And if it was just a couple papers not filled out why did it take all year? It’s unusual and there’s probably more to the story.
Agree. Border officials don’t just randomly pick out a few every season and deny them entry. Something is up, either background, criminal record, or possibly a few players were just flat out lazy and waited until the last minute to gather everything together needed and missed something needed to turn in with their application. The last is my thoughts always when a foreigner is late by a week plus every spring with the so called visa issues every spring more often than not.
Hey Silver since I see you
He got busted with pot trying to enter the US, but yeah COVID. No other MLB player travels…good grief you speak much and know little
Agreed, but I haven’t heard any other player not being able to get a visa.
Most serious visa issues for MLB players coming from the Dominican Republic have been because of forged birth certificates used to modify their age to sign a contract while too young to legally do so or to too old to interest scouts. Technically criminal, but understandable attempts to escape extreme poverty.
Not saying that was Romero’s problem, but it’s a lot more likely than him being some sort of violent felon.
Folks, this kid is really talented.
But for the past 3 off-seasons hes had trouble securing a Visa to leave his home country. Now, i am not saying hes got a criminal record or have temperament issues, or anything like that.
But the Twins upper management probably got sick of him dragging his feet, and taking his time to get his affairs in order down in the DR, and i really dont see that changing if he signs on with another team.
I dont like the move, but i can see why this – being a repeat issue now for the 3rd time in his career – would make the Twins brass go “okay if hes not serious about coming here to play, then let him sit at home, and play DR ball”
AAA Depth Material
That’s all he was with the Twins, they tried to give him more but it didn’t work out.
I saw him pitch live and he had electric stuff, just a little raw. Needs seasoning, but could easily be a rotation regular by age 30.
He’s a great talent. Hopefully he can find his way back into the league and fine tune his stuff a little and show it. Good luck Fernando
Would be a great pickup for the Orioles
It is a long walk (swim) from the bullpen in the Dominican Republic to the Orioles mound if his visa problem does not get fixed.
Texas Rangers, here you go! Keep the good moves coming!
1. I initially read the headline as Fernando Rodney. Dude will pitch forever.
2. Like every other team, mine should look into this kid if he’s going to be available this year.
Being that he could not get a Visa,
I suppose: that trying:
Mastercard
Discover
American Express
are out of the question……
So cheesy yet I literally laughed out loud
This definitely feels like a “we’re fed up with you” move. If he has a criminal record that prevents him from leaving the country then I’m pretty sure we’d know about it. Seems like he wasn’t putting enough effort in to securing his visa and the Twins just had enough. Certainly some speculation on my part, but that’s what it feels like anyways.
It’s entirely speculation on your part. What something “feels like” is irrelevant.
This entire website is based on speculation
It’s rational speculation. I can accept it as that. I’m inclined to agree.
Apparently Japan was ok with his visa, feel good about yourself?
Japan let’s in all kinds of terrible individuals who compete in mma. They let crazy horse in so that tells you everything you need to know about how easy it.
im sure that’s an extreme oversimplification of things.
Very rarely does a team give up on a young, Top 10 prospect to let them play overseas. I’m sure their was significant frustration from the Twins that led to this decision, but hopefully he does well over there.
He got busted trying to enter the US with pot when trying to come back for spring training.
well that explains things
And I was hoping the Orioles would sing him
just another failed Terry Ryan prospect.
Oh no he can’t get a visa to go to Japan
Well..it’s apparently a busy offseason in Japan. =\
Can anyone tell me where there is a list of players that have signed overseas this year so far
i would imagine MyKBO would have one for the KBO.
Very funny
It seems like every day someone is signing up to play overseas
Choss—- I was wondering the same thing myself??? More articles of MLB players opting to play elsewhere besides here in the USA. As far as I can remember—- players use to even defect from their own countries just to have a shot at playing over here. Now it’s the opposite. What’s going??
I think some of the players are going overseas because of the uncertainty of the minor leagues. With this pandemic going on who knows if there will be a Major league season too.
A few things going on. First, we’re noticing the international signings more because there is so little action going on in the MLB level this off season. Second, if you’re a player on the bubble, it’s to your advantage to take the guaranteed money in Japan. At best he gets $580K if he makes the Twins roster. Now he gets $724K guaranteed. Next, not only will the MLB season be reduced again next season, so will the minor league season. A player like Romero was likely looking at at not playing in pro games until at least May, if not June. Reduced games and reduced pay. Last, if Romero does well pitching in a higher league (compared to AAA), he’ll get decent MLB offers eventually. Japan is a good place to refine pitching skills.
Romero should likely replace either Spencer Patton or Michael Peoples
Yokohama is a pretty town.
Hilly, with a nice view of the ocean.
I hope he enjoys living there.