Rob Thomson's defense of Jordan Romano will just make Phillies fans more irate

The Philadelphia Phillies expected Jordan Romano to play a key role in their bullpen when they signed him this past offseason, but he's been one of the worst signings of the winter. It's gone so poorly to the point where Phillies fans have wanted him DFA'd for several months now, and based on Rob Thomson's latest defense of the pitcher, it's hard to envision that happening anytime soon, if ever.

When asked why the Phillies continue to give Romano looks, Thomson's answer was frustrating. The Phillies' skipper said "He either shuts people down or gives up two or three runs."

This, objectively, is true, as Romano has allowed an earned run in just 14 of his 48 outings. 10 of those 14 outings have seen him allow two or more earned runs. He either puts up a zero or allows multiple runs in most cases. While the zeroes are good, the propensity he seems to have to allow a crooked number makes him hard to trust, and Thomson's defense of Romano citing that he either blows up or is dominant is just not good enough.

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Rob Thomson all but admits Jordan Romano is unusable in postseason games

Thomson knows that Romano is as boom or bust of a reliever as he has in his bullpen. The upside is worth pointing out, but can he be used in the postseason when he falters as much as he does? I mean, 34 of his 48 outings have resulted in Romano not allowing a run, and yet, his ERA is at 7.56. This goes to show how many runs he allows when he doesn't throw up a zero.

Knowing Romano is prone to allowing multiple runs in any given outing, the Phillies cannot afford to use him in the postseason. The last thing they should want is watch Romano give up two or three runs in a postseason game. That kind of outing can swing any given game or even series.

His inconsistency is why the Phillies have used him a lot in low-leverage as the season has progressed, and perhaps they can do that in October, but Romano allowing two or three runs in the sixth inning of a game can make a contest closer like he did on Monday night, or take the Phillies out of a game.

I understand not wanting to give up on what felt like an important offseason signing, but it's hard to argue that the Phillies should do anything else with Romano. Winning has to be the top priority, and Romano has not helped the team do that at all. The Phillies have given this experiment almost five months. It's time to let go.