Report: Former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano agrees to deal with Phillies

While Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said earlier this month that the team would “strongly pursue” the backup player’s return, Romano has decided to take his talents elsewhere.

The athlete‘s Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal is above Romano’s projected settlement amount of $7.75 million.

Romano joins a Phillies team that could lose Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to free agency.

Romano played in just 15 games for the Blue Jays in 2024 before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing arm that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Atkins said last week he was confident Romano could make a full recovery.

“I feel like he’s going to come back physically. We have no medical concerns,” Atkins said.

When healthy, Romano served as a reliable backup, eventually becoming the Blue Jays’ closer in 2020 and winning back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, Romano ranked third in the American League with 36 saves in 42 opportunities and owned a 2.11 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 21 walks – the best season of his career, for which Romano received the Tip O’Neill Award as the best Canadian-born baseball player in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

He followed in 2023 with 36 saves and a 2.90 ERA over 59 innings.

Through 229.2 innings with the Blue Jays, Romano owns a career 2.90 ERA with 105 saves and a 20-17 record.