Toronto Blue Jays Reportedly Interested in Bringing Back Reliever Jordan Romano

The Jays non-tendered Romano just a few weeks ago, but they apparently do have a desire to bring him back at a lower number.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jordan Romano (68) pitches during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on April 22. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

After non-tendering closer Jordan Romano just a few weeks ago, the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly have interest in bringing him back this offseason. The Jays likely didn't have interest in retaining him at a nearly $8 million salary (as was projected through arbitration), but it makes sense they could want him back at a lower number.

Per Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic:

Nonetheless, Atkins noted that the club remains “interested in him and will be heavily pursuing his return, and hope that that’s a potential reality.”

Romano is coming off a disappointing 2024 season that saw him miss most of the season with an elbow injury that eventually required season-ending surgery. When asked about Romano’s health, Atkins indicated he had no concerns. “I feel like he will be back physically,” Atkins said.

The 31-year-old righty made his debut with the Blue Jays back in 2019 and as a Canada native, he's always been someone that fans could root for. Lifetime, Romano is 20-17 with a 2.90 ERA. He saved 105 games for Toronto and made two All-Star teams. He also was a part of playoff teams in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

Despite all the success, Romano struggled in 2024. As stated, he battled injury all year and only appeared in 15 games. He had a 6.59 and those two factors surely contributed to the Jays decision to non-tender him.

The Blue Jays really struggled in the bullpen as a whole a season ago, finishing 29th in bullpen ERA. Getting a healthy version of Romano could go a long way toward fixing that and they've also been connected to other top arms on the bullpen front.

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