San Francisco Giants Rumors: Romo, Minor League Deals, and More

Sep 29, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) congratulates relief pitcher Sergio Romo (54) after the end of the game against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 7 to 2. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 29, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) congratulates relief pitcher Sergio Romo (54) after the end of the game against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 7 to 2. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants seem to be headed into a different direction with their bullpen. In an interview with MLB Network Radio, Sergio Romo implied the Giants haven’t called him yet.

If it wasn’t clear going into the postseason, it became clear when they got eliminated. The San Francisco Giants needed a change in the bullpen. Hitting the reset button on an aging, underperforming pen is simply not dumb thing to do. Players get old, they decline, and that’s just the nature of it. However, it seems unlike them to have not contacted Sergio Romo yet. But that’s what he implied yesterday in an interview with MLB Network Radio. When asked about the difference between 2014 and this year’s free agency situation, he said this:

The only real difference is I’ve had teams called that I’m happy about and I’m excited about and somewhat surprised. And other teams that I figured would be calling, I haven’t gotten a call yet. So I’m just sitting here waiting around, just looking forward to going to a place where I’m wanted.

Later on, Romo dropped another hint that the front office hadn’t contacted him. In wrapping up his thoughts and feelings on free agency he dropped this:

So, am I open to seeing something else? Yeah. I want to go some place where I’m wanted, I want to go to a place where I can contribute and they believe in my ability to contribute every day. I’m excited about this offseason. I’m way more excited about free agency this time than I was last time. I’m not afraid of it anymore. I understand at the end of the day, I know I can pitch, I know I can be competitive, I know I can contribute and there’s going to be a team out there – maybe it’ll be the Giants, maybe they’ll be one of those teams calling. But at the end of the day, I want to be happy. I want to go play somewhere where I know I’m going to be happy.

Frankly, it sounds like his tenure in San Francisco is over. It is a shame it might end like this. He provided a solid career in the bullpen, getting key outs and even clinching a World Series. If he’s gone, his personality will be missed. You can listen to his interview right here:

More Minor League Contracts

According to John Morosi, the Giants signed pitcher Neil Ramirez to a minor league contract, with an invite to Spring Training. Ramirez was a first round pick by the Rangers in 2007. He was later traded to the Cubs and made a couple good appearances for them in 2014. His 2015 was mildly successful. But in 2016, his ERA and FIP ballooned. We’ll see if he can work with the Giants staff to get his career back on track.

Next: Four Giants Make 2017 HOF Ballot

Stay tuned to Around the Foghorn as we bring you all the hot-stove updates this offseason!