November 22, 2024

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays have non-tendered closer Jordan Romano.

The team announced the decision on Friday prior to the deadline for big league clubs to offer contracts to arbitration eligible players.

Romano (Markham, Ont.), who was projected to make $7.75 million in 2025, now becomes a free agent, although he could still re-sign with the Blue Jays.

The 31-year-old right-hander registered eight saves in 15 appearances in 2024 before undergoing elbow surgery in early June. He also struck out 13 batters in 13 2/3 innings and finished the season with a 6.59 ERA. 

On April 22, he pitched the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals in a 5-3 win to record his 100th career save. With that, he became just the fourth Canadian and fifth Blue Jay to reach that milestone.

In 59 games in 2023, Romano matched his career-high with 36 saves. The hard-throwing right-hander also had 36 saves in 2022. In his three full seasons as Blue Jays closer, his ERA has never eclipsed 2.90. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2022 and 2023.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum has pitched in six major league seasons.

On the flip side, the Blue Jays did tender a contract to Romano’s bullpen mate and fellow Canadian, Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.).

Pop made a career-high 58 relief appearances for the Blue Jays in 2024. That was also the second-most by a Canadian big-league pitcher (to Cade Smith who appeared in 74 games for the Guardians). The 28-year-old right-hander collected his first big league save on July 28 when he pitched the final 1 1/3 innings in the Blue Jays’ 7-3 win over the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre. In all, Pop recorded a 5.59 ERA and struck out 33 batters in 48 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2024.

The Blue Jays acquired Pop from the Miami Marlins on August 2, 2022. He developed into a reliable middle reliever down the stretch that season, posting a 2-0 record and a 1.89 ERA in 17 appearances. He followed that up by registering a 6.59 ERA in 15 relief appearances in 2023.

Pop was chosen in the seventh round of the 2017 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made five scoreless appearances in Rookie ball for the Dodgers that year and allowed just one run in 19 games out of the bullpen in High-A the ensuing campaign before he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles as part of the package for Manny Machado that July.

Pop spent parts of two seasons in the O’s organization before he was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 draft in December 2020. The D-Backs then flipped him to the Marlins. The Junior National Team alum spent the 2021 season in the big leagues with the Marlins, finishing with a 1-0 record and a 4.12 ERA in 51 appearances, while striking out 51 batters in 54 2/3 innings.

In total, the 28-year-old reliever has pitched in parts of four major league seasons.