The SF Giants release veteran left-handed pitcher after strong winter league stint

The SF Giants added a lot of left-handed pitchers on non-guaranteed deals this spring, including veteran pitcher Enny Romero. The Giants have cut ties with Romero, per the team's transaction log.

The SF Giants release veteran left-handed pitcher after strong winter league stint

Antonio Jimenez, Raymond Burgos, Ethan Small, and Joey Lucchesi joined Romero as lefty pitchers who received non-roster invites to Giants camp. They traded away Taylor Rogers late in the offseason, leaving Erik Miller as the only southpaw reliever on the 40-man roster.

Since then, young lefty Kyle Harrison has joined the bullpen. However, this feels like a short-term role, as Harrison was excelling out of the rotation with Sacramento.

The Giants had a lot of options in camp. Given Lucchesi's experience, it felt like he had an inside track as the second lefty reliever behind Miller. They did not go in that direction, but the southpaw pitcher has a 4.11 ERA with 14 strikeouts against three walks in 15.1 innings with Sacramento. The Giants could revisit the idea of adding Lucchesi later this season.

Enny Romero was a less likely option due in part to a lack of experience in affiliated ball in recent seasons. He joined the Giants on a minor league deal in January. The lefty pitcher had not thrown in full-season ball since 2022, and that came with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB. During that season, he posted a 3.36 ERA in 20 starts with the Marines.

Romero did have an outstanding stint with Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League this year. He registered a 1.24 ERA in 10 outings while earning 2024-2025 LIDOM Pitcher of the Year honors.

The 34-year-old pitcher originally signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization out of the Dominican Republic in 2008. He debuted with the Rays in 2013 and had brief stops with the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Kansas City Royals. He has a 5.12 ERA in parts of five seasons, with his last appearance on a major league mound coming with the Royals in 2018.

When Romero did not make the Giants out of camp, he was transferred to the restricted list. No reason was given. He did not make an appearance with Sacramento before being released.