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Nobody is saying there are plans of scrapping the energetic walk-in music for the Blue Jays’ Canadian nearer, Jordan Romano.
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Not but, anyway.
That mentioned, common supervisor Ross Atkins isn’t precisely effervescent over with enthusiasm on the prospect of Romano being his ninth-inning man because the Markham, Ont., native recovers from the elbow surgical procedure he underwent in early July.
In truth, earlier this week, the GM made it clear that primarily based on a troubled 2024 marketing campaign, at minimal, Romano’s standing as nearer is in jeopardy. At worst? Followers of the favored pitcher gained’t need to hear it.
“I don’t know,” Atkins mentioned when requested who he thought his nearer was going to be in 2025. “Like, we could have some guys which are presently on our roster which have performed it earlier than they usually actually will probably be probably in that position.”
Of the “guys” on the roster, Romano can be the one candidate for the essential project, a job that was his for the previous three seasons. Chad Inexperienced is a viable late-inning arm, however nobody sees him because the shut-down reply.
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Clearly with Romano’s struggles in a season that each started and ended on the harm listing, Atkins has no alternative however to discover choices, on the very least to make sure there may be some much-needed depth on the essential place. However in relation to Romano particularly, it’s clear from Atkins’ feedback that the Jays clearly will undertake a wait-and-see strategy to see the place the 31-year-old matches within the bullpen for subsequent season.
Atkins made his feedback on Romano on Wednesday in a session away from the cameras when he met with common beat reporters following his podium handle.
“I imply, he’s acquired to come back again and be the pitcher (he’s been prior to now),” Atkins mentioned of Romano, who solely appeared in 15 video games in 2024, a crushing disappointment for the intensely aggressive proper hander. “I don’t need to simply lay my head on the pillow and say ‘OK, that’s lined.’ I need to be open to it. Relying upon his return, relying upon how he’s feeling. However I imagine he’ll. I imagine he can.”
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Relying on his return? Gulp. When pressed on the imprecise reply that prompt additional uncertainty on Romano’s contract standing — by no means thoughts his candidacy to return to his closing spot — Atkins was purposefully imprecise but once more.
“I’m not going to touch upon contract standing,” Atkins mentioned when requested particularly whether or not the favored home-grown reliever, who’s arbitration eligible, would return in any respect.
Clearly, the bullpen is a big precedence for the Jays in one more demanding low season for the entrance workplace. After the 2024 implosion produced from a nasty mixture of accidents and poor type, bullpen struggles have been one of many largest causes the workforce was destined for the American League East basement, basically from the outset.
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To that finish, Atkins clearly can’t simply hand the job to Romano, particularly till the workforce determines how he bounces again from surgical procedure.
Romano can be the primary to acknowledge the travails of his season that started with a spring coaching harm that had him on the sidelines when the season began.
Issues picked up when he returned to the lineup in April, however Romano by no means actually acquired untracked and locked into that electrical type that made him the go-to dude from the bullpen within the two earlier campaigns.
Six weeks later, he was again on the IL. The surgical procedure in July was to restore what the workforce known as an impingement on his proper elbow, that ultimately led to the shut down of his season.
General, Atkins acknowledged that after watching the bullpen starkly plummet from power to legal responsibility this previous season, some type of overhaul will probably be wanted.
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However the GM additionally famous that inserting an emphasis on harm avoidance may even be a chief focus. Yimi Garcia (25 video games), Chad Inexperienced (35 video games), Erik Swanson (17 video games) and Romano (123 video games) all frolicked within the injured final and every of these pitchers have been key leverage arms in 2023.
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“Final yr, coming off such a profitable yr and returning that group appeared like a really strong play,” Atkins mentioned. “None of us anticipated the extent of accidents that we had. It’s important to account for these however along with the efficiency setbacks. Then we additionally had accidents to gamers that may have been depth for us.
“Now we have to do a greater job of avoiding harm and this yr we now have to be in all probability extra aggressive on the exterior (additions).”
The primary transfer was to do away with assistant pitching coach Jeff Ware, whose main duty was with the bullpen.
Might closing the door on the Canadian nearer be the massive one?
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