Sergio Romo

Romo was effective in a setup and partial closer role with Twins last season with a 4.05 ERA, five saves (in six chances) and ten holds. Romo's underlying numbers were strong as he posted a 26.4 K% with an 8.0 BB%. Romo has poor velocity but is still productive with one of the best off-speed pitches in the game. He gave up just a .296 wOBA on his slider, which he threw 64.8% of the time, according to Baseball Savant. Despite his meager fastball, he was in the 81st percentile in limiting Exit Velocity and above-average in hard-hit rate. Still, his velocity declined to a career-low 85.6 mph average fastball. He has a small margin for error if his slider loses any effectiveness as a result and there's considerable downside risk at age 38 next season. However, he'll be a prominent setup man as long as his health and slider continue positive recent trends.

Romo served as Miami's closer to begin last season, going 17-for-18 in save opportunities with a 3.58 ERA. He was traded to Minnesota in July and was effective in a setup and partial closer role with a 3.18 ERA and three saves. Romo has never reached 90 mph with his average fastball, instead relying on one of the best offspeed pitches in baseball. His slider ranked 14th in runs above average among all pitchers with 50 or more IP, per FanGraphs. Romo has a small margin for error with his average fastball velocity declining from 88 mph in 2017 to just 86.4 mph last season. At age 37, the risk is he can rapidly decline with age. Still, his veteran presence will have value in Minnesota's bullpen where he'll reprise his setup role and get a few saves based on matchups.

Romo did it all for Tampa Bay in 2018. He led the team with 25 saves. He "started" five games, including consecutive games twice. He even moved from the pitcher's mound to third base for one batter so manager Kevin Cash could bring in a LOOGY and then turn back to Romo. He did all of this while posting his highest strikeout rate and saves total of the past four seasons. He is fraught with risks as a closer because he has been rather terrible against lefties on the whole, and he is very prone to home runs off hanging sliders and misplaced fastballs. Romo landed with Miami on a one-year deal, presumably with assurances that he will close for a stretch before being traded. This will likely prove to be his last run as a closer in the big leagues.

Romo struggled mightily with the Dodgers after signing as a free agent last offseason, but recovered after a midseason trade to the Rays. That turnaround was spurred by Romo throwing his fastball more often, up from 26.8 percent with Los Angeles to 41.5 percent in Tampa Bay, while relying on the slider a little less. The change in pitch mix led to a drop in strikeouts, but that was offset by a drop in walks and a big decline in hard-hit rate. His ERA fell from an unplayable 6.12 to an impressive 1.47. That strong second half should earn the 34-year-old Romo a chance in some team's bullpen in 2018. He does have 84 career saves and could end up relatively high on the closer depth chart if he ends up in a weak bullpen, but he's unlikely to be a primary ninth-inning option out of camp regardless of where he lands.

On the surface, Romo had an excellent season as a reliever in 2016, which included a standout 4.71 K/BB. He even finished the regular season as the Giants' closer, converting all four save opportunities presented to him in the final two weeks of the season. Looking deeper into his stats, however, it seems the vet got by with a little luck last season. His 1.47 HR/9 was the highest of his career, but it didn't appear to affect his overall ERA. This was a result of a career-high 92.3 percent strand rate, which explains why his 3.63 xFIP is nearly a whole run higher than his final ERA. His fastball has never intimidated opposing batters, serving more as a "get it over" pitch, but he has been able to maintain excellent strikeout numbers by relying on his wipeout slider (63.5 percent usage in 2016). Like many of the Giants' veteran bullpen arms, Romo's contract expired this offseason and he hit the open market. His days as a closer appear to be over after he signed with the Dodgers, although a setup role for Kenley Jansen does seem to be in the cards.

Having lost his closer role last season, Romo got off to a rocky start in 2015 and things were trending downward for the once-dominant reliever. He wasn't fooling anybody in the first half and went into the All-Star break with a 5.19 ERA. The second half was a completely different story for Romo, as he was nearly unhittable, posting a 1.15 ERA in the second half, bringing his season totals to a much more respectable 2.98 ERA. He continued to show excellent control, posting a 7.10 K/BB ratio, which was eighth among all relievers. His inability to get lefties out (.366 BAA compared to .169 BAA righties) is what will keep Romo from ever becoming a truly dominant reliever. But he definitely has value to the Giants as a reliever who can shut down right-handed batters. As long as manager Bruce Bochy continues to use him in that manner, then Romo should be a solid middle reliever and a player to target in leagues that count holds.

Romo’s 2013 season couldn’t be considered “bad” by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still a sharp regression from 2011-12 and it should have sounded more alarm bells than it did entering last year. He lived on the wire in 2012 with a 91 percent strand rate, which is why he had almost a full run split between his ERA and FIP. His strand rate fell to a reasonable 78 percent in 2013, and his ERA rose 75 points. The strikeout rate was downright pedestrian at 23 percent, and the slider regressed against lefties, giving him a sharp platoon split (234-point high OPS vs. LHB). In 2014, he survived through mid-May as a 305-point platoon split somehow didn’t kill him (1.65 ERA through 17 appearances), but then the floodgates opened. He had an 8.44 ERA in his next 17 appearances and was removed from the closer role. Part of it was just the volatility of small samples, but part of it was his ineffectiveness. He rebounded with a 1.80 ERA in the second half, including a .464 OPS against lefties, which bodes well for the future, especially if he regains the ninth-inning role.

In 2013, Romo received his first full season as the Giants' closer and came through with flying colors. His saves (38), ERA (2.54), and WHIP (1.08) all ranked in the top five for closers in the National League. His ERA actually rose from 1.79 in 2012 due to his unreal strand rate (90.7 LOB%) returning to a realistic level (78.0 LOB%). Still, it was hard to find anything to complain about from Romo in 2013. He doesn't fit the mold of a typical closer, as his fastball isn't overpowering (87.7 mph), but he relies on pinpoint control and a dominating slider that is considered to be the best in baseball. He will enter 2014 as the unquestioned closer for the Giants, and should remain so barring injury.

Once again Romo proved to be the most valuable reliever in the Giants' bullpen, appearing in 69 games and finishing the season as the club's closer. His 2.70 FIP and 2.61 xFIP were impressive, and there is a possibility he will start the season as the closer once again if Brian Wilson is not re-signed. Romo saw an improved groundball rate (48.5 percent), and it was a significant part of his success against left-handed hitters (60.4 percent), who were held to .221 wOBA. Expect a slight uptick in ERA, as it is unlikely Romo will have a strand rate greater than 90 percent again in 2013.

Romo just finished one of the more dominating relief seasons you'll ever see, posting a 1.50 ERA with a 0.708 WHIP and a ridiculous 70:5 K:BB ratio over 48.0 innings. His 1.49 xFIP would have easily led all pitchers in baseball had he qualified, which raises the question of why wasn't Romo used more? His Frisbee slider is death to righties, producing a .391 OPS against last year, but he's also pretty terrific against left-handers as well (.592 OPS against). Romo is an elite reliever who would be perfectly capable of closing if ever given the opportunity, but as is, he's the top setup man in San Francisco.

Romo was fantastic in 2010, posting a 2.18 ERA and 0.968 WHIP with a 5.0 K/BB ratio. His BABIP has fluctuated mightily the past three seasons, as it was .171 in 2008, .346 in 2009 and .276 last year. Expect that number to settle in the .290-.300 range in 2011, and he should remain an elite reliever thanks to the high strikeout rate. Despite struggling some in the playoffs, Romo will open this season as San Francisco's top setup man and would likely be the alternative to close should Brian Wilson get hurt.

Romo missed the first two months of last season with a sprained elbow, and he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.206 WHIP with a 41:11 K:BB ratio over 34.0 innings after returning. His incredible numbers in 2008 were bound to regress some (he had a .171 BABIP that year), but Romo remained effective nevertheless. He could emerge as one of the Giants’ primary setup men this season.

Romo was a pleasant surprise last year, finishing with a 2.12 ERA and a miniscule 0.71 WHIP. He struck out 33 batters over 34.0 innings, limiting opponents to a .138 batting average. The .171 BABIP suggests he was quite lucky, and he needs to start inducing more groundballs (0.49 G/F), but Romo is going to be a part of San Francisco’s bullpen in 2009.

Romo had a ridiculously good 2007 season at High-A San Jose, finishing with a 1.36 ERA, 0.754 WHIP and a remarkable 106:15 K:BB ratio over 66.1 innings. Despite being an extreme flyball pitcher, he held batters to just four home runs all season. Still, he'll need to induce more ground balls for him to excel at higher levels, and since he's already 24, the Giants figure to move him up the organization a little more aggressively.