MLB Rumors: San Francisco Giants remove Sergio Romo as closer
By Bryan Rose
Few closers had a longer leash in baseball than San Francisco Giants fireman Sergio Romo. But even manager Bruce Bochy has a breaking point and after giving up fifteen runs in his last fifteen innings, Sergio Romo was removed from his closer role on Sunday morning.
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That was the thought of many after Romo, nursing a 1-0 lead against the Cincinnati Reds continued to throw sloppy hanging slider after sloppy hanging slider. One of those eventually cleared the AT&T Park wall, giving the opposing Cincinnati Reds a 2-1 lead. As if that wasn’t enough, Romo did finish the inning but the next three outs all went to the warning track and were home runs in just about any park in baseball outside of the cavernous Giants home.
Romo, who took over for the formerly eccentric closer Brian Wilson when he was injured (and then when he left in free agency) has been among one of the most reliable closers in the game but has not been himself this season, marred by poor location with his famed slider and a poor 88-mph fastball.
As for what’s next, Bruce Bochy did say that he’s going to go with a ‘closer by committee’ approach though the presumed favorite to take the job is Santiago Casilla, though Romo is still in line for saves and will also be used in the 7th and 8th innings.
Bochy did not go as far as to suggest that Sergio Romo will be guaranteed to get his job back, but known for being a player’s manager, one would expect he’d eventually regain the role if he pitches well.