San Francisco Giants: Is a Sergio Romo Reunion in Order?

As the San Francisco Giants enter free agency, it is likely that their focus will be on the outfield and starting pitching talent.

And rightly so, those are two obvious weaknesses they have heading into next season. But could the San Francisco Giants bring back an old friend to bolster the bullpen?

Our old pal Sergio Romo is a free agent. After spending the last two years with the Tampa Bay Rays, a reunion with the San Francisco Giants is highly unlikely, but never say never.

It goes without saying that Romo is a great Giant. He was an instrumental part of all three world championships and famously closed out the 2012 Fall Classic with a gutsy fastball that froze Miguel Cabrera, one of the best hitters of the era.

Two-thousand and sixteen was the last year the Giants had any members of the “Core Four” left on their roster. We all remember the bullpen meltdown that led to the Giants’ demise in that year’s playoffs, and it was clear that the bullpen needed a fresh start.

To the chagrin of many Giants fans, Romo signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2017 season. Of course, the GM that signed him was the current president of baseball operations for the Giants, Farhan Zaidi.

Things didn’t go well for Romo in Los Angeles. In 30 appearances he wracked up an ERA of 6.12. It was so ugly that the Dodgers decided to release him. The Rays were willing to pick him up and he’s enjoyed a mini-rejuvenation with them.

In 25 appearances for them in 2017 he recorded an impressive ERA of 1.47, and last season he had an ERA of 4.14. Plus, he even started a few games in a wacky Rays experiment that actually seemed to work a few times.

Like I said earlier, it is highly unlikely that Romo will sign with the Giants. He is 35 years old, and Zaidi won’t have the same championship-riddles memories that Giants fans will have, instead remembering him getting rocked in L.A.

Under different leadership where nostalgia seemed to be a good enough reason to sign a player, a Romo signing would not seem all that outlandish. But under new leadership that is trying to bring the Giants out of the past and into the future, it’s unlikely.

While Romo is a great Giant who contributed greatly to the organization’s success, I don’t expect to see him in orange and black anytime soon, unless he’s signed by the Orioles or something.