Once again, the Orioles have signed yet another veteran reliever to provide depth in the organization…
From the Orioles.com:
BALTIMORE — The Orioles have agreed to terms on a Minor League contract with veteran reliever J.C. Romero, the club announced on Thursday, and Romero is expected to report to Triple-A Norfolk.
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Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said Tuesday that the club was still actively seeking ways to upgrade and add depth to the pitching staff, and Romero fills a need: another lefty reliever to go along with Zach Philips. The O’s bullpen currently has two lefties in Troy Patton and Dana Eveland.
Romero previously pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2007-11, posting a combined 2.73 ERA along with notable postseason success in ’08. He was suspended for the first 50 games of 2009 for taking a banned supplement, and was released by the Phillies in 2011.
Romero then latched on with Minor League deals for the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies — with whom he pitched to a 4.32 ERA in 11 big league games — before making the Cardinals this spring.
In 14 Major League seasons, Romero is 34-28 with a 4.15 ERA.
Ok, Romero perhaps is very close to the end of his solid career. Obviously, he would provide some depth in the minors and could be summoned to the majors in case of injury or whatever.
Frankly, I’m not sure if Romero has much left in the tank as he has bounced around the league as of late. However, if he can be effective with the Orioles organization and perhaps squeeze out one good run as a left-handed, situational reliever, then it’s all good.
