The Philadelphia Phillies designated reliever for assignment on Tuesday after his struggles on the mound. Ross posted a 5.12 ERA over 51 innings this season before being let go.
By that same logic, Jordan Romano should be next.
If Ross was cut for underperformance, Romano’s case is even clearer, as he owns a disastrous 8.23 ERA in 42 2/3 innings.
“The club’s biggest bullpen acquisition this past offseason, Romano was expected to be a reliable late-inning option,” The Athletic’s Matt Gelb noted. “Instead, he’s putting together one of the worst relief seasons in Phillies history.”
It’s puzzling that Philadelphia has kept him this long while locked in a division race with the Mets. The team should be focused on maximizing its bullpen strength heading into September, not weighed down by a reliever who consistently hurts their chances.
His recent stint on the injured list may be a sign that the end is near, but the Phillies have been reluctant to make a clean break.
According to Baseball Savant, Romano has allowed a WOBA of .320 or worse (league average, per FanGraphs) in 11 of 13 strike zone regions — an alarming sign for any pitcher.
At this point, there’s no valid excuse to keep him on the roster, not even Jose Alvarado’s postseason suspension. A literal rock on the mound might be more effective, if only because it wouldn’t give up runs.
Dave Dombrowski appears to be holding out hope that Romano can justify his signing, but there’s nothing left to salvage.
The Phillies need to cut ties sooner rather than later. The move is overdue, but it’s still better to act now than risk Romano costing them a playoff game.
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