When the Philadelphia Phillies made various significant moves this past offseason, their main goal was to find the missing pieces to help complete their roster and to take them to the next level. In doing so, one of their biggest investments, and gambles at the same time, was the free agent signing of former All-Star closer Jordan Romano.
However, as we take a look at how the 2025 MLB season has panned out for Philadelphia, it now appears that Romano has become the Phillies’ worst failed investment this year. Neither the Phillies brass nor the fans expected such a failure of epic proportions.
Jordan Romano was by far the Phillies’ worst free agent signing for the 2025 season
Romano had been one of the best closers in the game during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. In his six seasons with the Jays, the 32-year-old reliever was a two-time All-Star while posting 105 saves along with a stellar 2.90 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 285 strikeouts in 229 2/3 innings.
More significantly, Romano played a key role in helping the Blue Jays reach the postseason in three of those six seasons with his unorthodox ability to close out games even under adversity at times. As a result, the Phillies were expecting more of that magic when they brought him in to join the perennial contenders of the National League East.
With José Alvarado failing in the closer’s role in 2024 and Carlos Estévez leaving in free agency upon the conclusion of the season, it was assumed that Romano would eventually take over the closing duties in 2025 and help provide the Phillies with that same shutdown ability to finish off ball games. However, things began to fall apart fast right from the get-go as the right-hander struggled mightily coming out of the gate. In doing so, he quickly lost hold of his closing role.
Despite appearing to get his game back together for a stretch in May, Romano’s season went off the rails once again toward the end of the month and has stuck with him for the rest of the year. On the season, he has compiled a mediocre 2-4 record with just eight saves in 11 opportunities, along with a dismal 8.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, giving up almost as many earned runs (39) as total innings pitched (42 2/3). It even got to the point when Romano would emerge from the bullpen, Phillies fans would cringe and worry he would ultimately blow the game.
PATRICK BAILEY
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2025
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With a recent update suggesting that his season may be over with his right finger injury, it mercifully ends his 2025 campaign and also his tenure with the Phillies. For someone who was once among the best in the business, Romano sure has fallen off a cliff with Philadelphia this season.
So the Phillies’ bold gamble this past offseason sure blew up in their faces pretty badly. It caused them to eventually require an additional costly investment at the trade deadline in obtaining Jhoan Duran to help stabilize their relief corps.
Consequently, the time and money spent by the Phillies to rectify the bullpen situation in light of Romano’s huge implosion season makes him the biggest failed investment in 2025. With Whit Merrifield unanimously the Phillies’ failed investment in 2024, perhaps they should try to avoid former Blue Jays players in the future, just to be safe.