In December, the Philadelphia Phillies took a chance on reliever, signing him to a one-year contract worth $8.5 million. The team was eager to bring in a two-time All-Star with an impressive track record from his days with the Toronto Blue Jays, even though he was coming off a down year.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the move hasn’t paid off. His performance this season has been rough—he’s appeared in 49 games but has posted a career-worst 8.23 ERA over 42.2 innings. His struggles led to his removal from the closer role, and matters got worse when he landed on the 15-day injured list on August 26. The injury was diagnosed as inflammation in his right middle finger. While he initially attempted to work his way back, a setback has delayed his return. With the playoffs looming, it now seems increasingly doubtful that Romano will pitch again before the year ends.
That has left the Phillies with an expensive gamble that didn’t pay off. Jordan Romano’s $8.5 million deal is now viewed as a bust, and once the season concludes, he will hit free agency again. According to Edward Eng of That Ball’s Outta Here, it’s unlikely Philadelphia will try to re-sign him:
“With key trade deadline acquisition Jhoan Duran firmly entrenched as the closer for the foreseeable future, Romano will be forced to look for a new home in 2026, with a team that still believes he has anything left.”
Since Romano’s struggles, Duran has solidified himself as the Phillies’ closer and is expected to hold the role at least through the 2027 season unless unforeseen circumstances arise. For Romano, the road forward means hoping that another organization is willing to take a chance on him and that he can turn things around next year.