Pair of ex-Toronto Blue Jays pitchers helped Romano rehab before free agency
When Jordan Romano found himself on the free agent market for the first time this offseason, it was a completely new experience for the former Toronto Blue Jays star closer.
Romano had spent his entire MLB career in Toronto, having been drafted by the franchise in the 10th round of the 2014 Draft out of Oral Roberts University.
But after doing just about everything a pitcher would need to better their game in a team facility — rehab, workouts, and the occasional offseason training — Romano found himself in need of a new place to throw his bullpen sessions and complete other offseason fitness goals in Florida.
Speaking to Sportsnet’s Blair and Barker show today about getting non-tendered by the Blue Jays before eventually signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, Romano revealed he turned to former Blue Jays pitchers Aaron Sanchez and Ryan Borucki to find a place to rehab an injury that cut his 2024 campaign short.
Romano made just 15 appearances for the Jays in 2024, picking up eight saves before eventually seeing his season cut short by an injury to his throwing elbow that required surgery.
“I’d been doing everything at the complex… so after [the Jays cut ties], I was like, ‘I’ve got to find something ASAP,'” Romano said. “I was like, ‘Hey boys, can I hop in on the workouts?'”
Sanchez last pitched in the majors in 2022, having spent time with five major league organizations. Borucki, meanwhile, has played for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates since leaving Toronto. Both players are currently free agents.
The Markham native didn’t appear to have any hard feelings toward his former team, having signed a new deal with the Phillies on December 9.
“When I look back at my time there, it’s not bitter, it’s just kind of, like, that was such a cool experience. And I’m glad I got to do that because it was really my dream,” Romano said. “I’m happy with how I competed and treated people. I look at it as a really cool chapter of my life, and I’m on to the next one.”
Romano had an ERA of 2.90, 285 strikeouts, and 105 saves in 231 appearances for the Blue Jays in his career, making his MLB debut with the team in 2019. He had back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023 of 36 saves and won the Tip O’Neill Award as the best Canadian-born baseball player by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
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