Sergio Romo Talks About Returning to the Giants
Free agency can be tough for fans, but it can be even worse for the players. Their future is uncertain, as they don’t know where they’ll call home next season, or if they’ll even have a home for the next year. It can also turn into a waiting game, which is exactly what San Francisco Giants‘ reliever Sergio Romo experienced.
Romo re-signed with the Giants this past offseason, but after dealing with a sore shoulder, didn’t make his Spring Training debut until Monday. He had a rude welcoming, as the first batter he faced, Brennan Boesch, took him deep for a solo home run, but he settled in and retired the next three Cincinnati Reds’ hitters, including a strikeout on his bread-and-butter pitch, his slider.
After his inning, he spoke to Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area.
"“I just didn’t want to go anywhere, guys. I really didn’t. It would have been really hard for me to start over somewhere else. There’s a lot of history here.”"
During the interview, Romo also hinted that he had received offers to be a closer for other teams, a role which he’d held for the Giants at various points. Romo didn’t get a deal done until December 22nd, and took a backseat as the Giants chased some bigger fish, like Pablo Sandoval and Jon Lester.
Romo told Pavlovic his patience was “wearing thin”, but he never gave up hope that a reunion with the only organization he’s ever known was possible. In the end, his hopes came true, as he signed a two-year, $15 million deal to continue wearing the orange and black.
More from San Francisco Giants
- Thank you SF Giants for a fun, wild, surprising 2020 season
- SF Giants lose in heartbreaking fashion and miss 2020 MLB playoffs
- SF Giants: Mike Yastrzemski named 2020 Willie Mac Award recipient
- SF Giants: Chadwick Tromp placed on IL with shoulder strain
- SF Giants: Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners postponed
In Romo, the Giants retain one of the best right-handed relief pitchers in baseball, with one of the most devastating pitches in the game. In 405 games over seven years, Romo owns a 2.51 ERA, .927 WHIP, and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings rate.
While 2014 was rough by his standards, as he finished with a 3.72 ERA, the four years preceding that were impeccable. Romo pitched in 267 games between 2010 and 2013, posting a 2.03 ERA and .913 WHIP.
Despite getting offers from other teams to be their closer, Romo doesn’t exactly fit the bill as a ninth inning guy. In today’s game, the final frame is usually reserved for a guy who lights up radar guns, regularly throwing heat in the upper-90’s.
Romo doesn’t have that. He’s a finesse pitcher, who works with pinpoint control of his fastball and slider, rather than relying on velocity. He’s known for his patented “no dot” slider, which forces a ton of swings that usually come up empty, as batters think they’re swinging at a fastball, but ending up missing by a foot as the slider breaks heavy.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
Romo has had his share of memorable moments with the Giants, as he was a key component to all three World Series runs in the past half-decade. Who can ever forget Romo freezing Miguel Cabrera, quite possibly the best hitter in baseball at the time, with a two-seam fastball for strike three to clinch the 2012 World Series in a sweep?
Besides his excellent stuff on the field, Romo also plays a big hand in keeping the Giants’ clubhouse loose. Besides that slider, Romo may be best known for his “Romo-bombs”, or unexpected appearances during teammates’ interviews.
The Giants are able to keep their bullpen intact, but they are also able to keep it loose and carefree. And they bring back a player who wants to be in San Francisco. What else can you ask for?