The Athletics have agreed to a one-year deal with Sergio Romo, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Romo will be paid $2.25MM, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. Romo is represented by Meister Sports Management.
Romo hit the open market after the Twins bought out their $5MM 2021 club option on the right-hander for $250K back in October. Originally acquired by Minnesota in a deal at the 2019 trade deadline, Romo will now head back to the Bay Area, where he starred on the other side of the Bay Bridge pitching out of the Giants’ bullpen from 2008-16.
Since leaving the Giants following the 2016 season, Romo hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was during his San Francisco heyday, with some increase in his home run and walk rates over the last four seasons. But overall, Romo has still been an effective reliever as he approaches his 38th birthday, including posting a 4.05 ERA and an above-average 26.4K% and 18.4K-BB% over 20 innings with Minnesota in 2020. Statcast graded Romo as a plus contributor (if not really elite) in every category across the board last season, and his 3.82 SIERA indicates that Romo was perhaps even slightly unlucky from an ERA standpoint.
Between Romo and the re-signed Yusmeiro Petit, the Athletics have added two veteran workhorses for the bullpen in a single evening. Petit leads all pitchers in appearances since the start of the 2017 season, while Romo averaged 56 innings and 63 appearances per season from 2010-19. Romo worked as a regular closer with the Rays in 2018 and the Marlins in 2019, and he could pick up some save opportunities should Jake Diekman (the favorite for ninth-inning duty in Oakland) run into any difficulties. For now, Romo looks to slot in as a set-up man.
Coming from a twins fan… romo gives up a lot of hard contact and gets K’s once in a while. Super glad he is off the twins! DFA candidate IMO
Can relate to that watching him in the later half of his Giants years. Though he was lights out in 2012 especially in the postseason, if his slider doesn’t work, he’s toast that inning.
The Athletics are active today, signing two relievers within minutes. It will be nice to see Romo with the A’s and Yusmeiro Petit returning to the team. When the offseason began, I thought the Angels were going to at least try to sign Petit to prevent less runs because their bullpen wasn’t good at all last season no disrespect to the Angels fans.
I think the Angels are going to make a move for Rosenthal. A combination of Rosenthal and Iglesias would be nasty out of the back of their bullpen.
Also, I have no idea why fans come on this site to hate on good relievers. Every single time a reliever signs with a new team, fans of his old team come here to bash his performance. Romo has been one of the better relievers in the league over the past couple years.
It’s 2021 baseball fandom: hate more players than you actually like, hate them for literally any reason including nonsense reasons, and make sure to vocalize you hate them online to someone. It’s so draining to read tbh.
Your a bad fan… one of the best relief/closers in the game last year, was also a fan favorite
Romo’s last 80 IP in MLB: 3.84 FIP and 3.59 ERA.
What are you even talking about?
The amount of K’s and saves he got the job done
He was in the top 70th percentile of hard hit rate, top 81st percentile of exit velo and was about league average in terms of HR/9. He’s not as bad as you remember.
For 2 million this is a great signing for the A’s. Romo will slide lots of sliders there, Like its a White Castle instead of a Coliseum
Way to go A’s signing everyone tonight!
Love this signing, welcome back to the bay!
Really? I don’t think you’re going to like him much. He doesn’t offer much at this point. Those leads aren’t safe when he’s brought into the game.
Great couple of relief signings today for the As in a wide open West division. They might be the favorites, although I haven’t looked too closely at the Astros or Angels lately
It’s Build-A-Bullpen night in Oakland.
Never thought this guy would still be in the league 4 years after his disastrous Dodgers stint. Good for him.
Petit and Romo! Oakland’s Batman and Robin LOL… It will be an interesting year for the young talented A’s…
Expect some trades to clear roster space. One of the blocked and unused outfielders like Fowler probably
Methinks Canha is off somewhere. I hope Fowler but dude doesn’t have much value atm
Why would Canha be traded? He’s still cheap and has been a good hitter the past few seasons.
Absolutely no way! He is our every day leftfielder, and possibly the best hitter on the team.
Dang, the Athletics are getting their shopping done in one night!
Really an underrated guy throughout his career. And, holy lord, his 2011 numbers were just downright absurd.
2011 lol!!!!!!
Haha?
I Will Survive should be his intro music. Room continues to be effective. A’s had a good day today.
If you’re an A’s fan, I guess. This is as good as it gets.
Romo is interesting; he continues to survive and sometimes thrive with stuff that isn’t what he used to have. But he finds a way. 2021 could be the end. He’s lasted longer than some have thought.
I love the intro music suggestion for Romo. I am glad the A’s brought back Petit.
A’s new Closer
Only 37? I thought he was older.
Best possible A’s team that could feasibly be made via FA right now is this:
1B Olson
2B Pinder (play him everyday already, sheesh, he’s not a platoon player he’s their current Muncy who they are doing everything they can to Muncy him up)
SS Andrus (but Nick Allen is coming sooner than you’d think)
3B Chapman
C Murphy
LF *Gardner
CF Laureano
RF Canha
DH *Choo
Bench: Garcia, Fowler, Piscotty, Kemp
Sign Gardner and Choo for next to nothing and give back Tom and Jimenez to CLE and TOR. This A’s team lacks veterans and these two are perfect fits here. The beloved Choo also gets to reunite with the beloved Andrus to finally play contending baseball one last time together. Piscotty actually isn’t worth penciling everyday, but a rotation of COF of Gardner, Canha, Piscotty, Pinder and Choo is really fantastic depth.
SP: Bassitt, Luzardo, Manaea, Montas, Fiers
RP: *Rosenthal, Diekman, Petit, Romo, Trivino, Kolarek, Wendelken, Turley/Puk
Sign Rosenthal for whatever he needs, and that bullpen is NASTY and the A’s are easily a top 3 AL team. Not to mention any trades Beane might get the green light on if A’s fans finally get to Fisher and he opens up his wallet for someone, like Trevor Story.
A’s signed Romo and Petit for less than five million combined. We don’t even know what Rosenthal is asking for, but it must be more than teams are offering because he’s still a free agent. A’s probably aren’t willing to go $4 or $5 million on a reliever.
Choo would be solid but Edwin Encarnacion would be cheaper and could theoretically replace the Power Davis could have provided. I don’t think the A’s are done shopping yet
Would be hilarious if Billy finally nets E5 for next to nothing when he spurned the A’s many years back and their huge offer. Lol
Not a top 3 team with those moves. NY, Chi, Minn, Cle are better with TB and Tor probably being better also.
A’s aren’t competing for a division title against those teams. With those moves they are better than the Astros
That’s not his claim though. He said top 3 team in the AL, not division winner.
He meant top 3 in the AL west. 😉
I’ll take the A’s right now over Minnesota or Cleveland, and probably Toronto.
I like your takes here, especially about Chad Pinder. I disagree with you about Steven Piscotty though, I think his defense is better than any of those corner outfielders you have listed, except possibly Canha whose defense is underrated. I’d certainly take Piscotty over B Gardner at this point. I also think the brass likes Piscotty a lot and that he will be our every day right fielder.
Good signings but it takes flamethrowers these days to win in the playoffs
Outside of Romo and Petit, our entire bullpen throws 95+
Romo throws 85 maaaaybe 86 and 84 sink
Also 76 slider and 78 or 79 change he’s fungible
This is a very blah signing. He’s more likely to be a negative bullpen presence than a positive one. They will learn this the hard way.
I think you might be surprised, he might do pretty darn well in the pitcher-friendly Coliseum.
Does he still use that same obnoxious entrance music? El Mechón?
Romo is always an asset. Smart & a great competitor.
I’m surprised no one has picked up Oliver Perez yet. The guy was rock solid for CLE the past 2+ seasons, and he won’t cost much at all.