Latest Jordan Romano development sparks talk of possible Blue Jays reunion

The Angels designated Romano for assignment after a rough first month, cutting loose the former Toronto closer on a 1-year, $2 million deal.

That matters in Toronto because the Blue Jays have already pulled Jeff Hoffman from the closer's role. Ross Atkins said the club will share ninth-inning duties in the short term while Hoffman resets.

So this is not just nostalgia talk. Toronto is actively looking for stability at the back of the bullpen, and Romano is once again available.

The fit is easy to understand. Romano still owns 117 career saves, and 105 of them came with the Blue Jays. MLB.com called him a beloved Canadian closer when Toronto non-tendered him after 2024.

His best work in Toronto was more than good. In 2023, Romano posted a 2.14 ERA, recorded a career-best 23 saves, and finished runner-up for the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award.

That is the risk. Romano's 2026 line with the Angels sat at a 7.11 ERA and 1.74 WHIP through 6 1/3 innings, and the recent trend was even worse.

His last 7 games produced a 10.38 ERA, and 2 April outings at Yankee Stadium blew up fast enough to change the Angels' plans.

Still, there are reasons Toronto could talk itself into it. Romano is only 33, he already knows the market, and the Blue Jays would not be asking him to walk straight back into the ninth as the sole closer.

That part actually helps. A committee setup with Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Braydon Fisher and others would let Toronto ease Romano into leverage instead of forcing him to wear the full closer label on Day 1.

There is also the cost angle. Romano is in DFA status, so the Blue Jays would be exploring a lower-risk reunion than the one they passed on when they non-tendered him after his injury-marred 2024 season.

None of this makes a reunion automatic. Toronto could decide Romano's recent results are too shaky, or another club could grab him first.

But the baseball logic is real. The Blue Jays need late-inning answers, Jordan Romano once gave them the best numbers of his career, and if Toronto wants a familiar rebound bet, this one is sitting right in front of it.