New Philadelphia Phillies Closer Speaks Out After Whirlwind Offseason

"Feeling great now, finally," the 31-year-old right-hander said. "It was a tough last year, had surgery in July, but bounced back good and had a pretty normal offseason. So now we're feeling strong, feeling good, normal schedule."

Romano last pitched on May 29 before being shut down and undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in July. He appears to have recovered and is feeling healthy and strong heading into 2025.

After spending the first six years of his Major League career with the Blue Jays and racking up 105 saves (third-most in franchise history), the Markham, Canada native was surprised to be let go by Toronto.

"I wasn't sure, you know, after (2024). Obviously it's in the back of your head," Romano said. "But yeah, it was definitely a little bit of a shocker."

While Romano said he'll miss Blue Jays fans, he's excited to start his next chapter with the Phillies and potentially bring a World Series title to Philadelphia.

"Philly is definitely a place where I really wanted to play, and I'm glad they showed some interest in me and we got something done," Romano said.

The team is counting on him to return to his past form.

While manager Rob Thomson hasn't put tradition roles on his bullpen arms during his tenure in charge, Romano is expected to have the majority of his work come in save situations this season.

Without a true shutdown closer on paper, the Phillies need him to be effective if they're going to have a bullpen good enough to win the elusive championship they have been chasing since making the Fall Classic in 2022.

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