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Rangers Should Target Romero as Ideal 2027 Bullpen Addition
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- Rangers Should Target Romero as Ideal 2027 Bullpen Addition
(© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Only a few years ago, teams throughout MLB were studying how the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series. The Rangers have returned to taking notes themselves.
The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers will meet in the World Series beginning Friday. It is an unusual matchup between two small-market teams at a time when MLB owners and the MLB Players Association are fighting over the financial future of the game.
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While those sides attempt to divide billions of dollars, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee will pursue the first World Series title in franchise history.
Rangers must find blueprint to success
Texas should pay close attention. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young wants his roster to become younger and more athletic, which likely means making it less expensive .
The Rays and Brewers have constructed winning teams on limited budgets. That approach also means neither organization can retain every player indefinitely.
Neither team has many players entering free agency after the season, but one pending free agent could become an ideal addition to the Texas bullpen in 2027.
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Milwaukee left-handed reliever JoJo Romero has enjoyed an impressive postseason.
The 30-year-old is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 0.56 WHIP in 5.1 innings over four appearances, recording nine strikeouts and a walk. Romero has allowed one earned run while surrendering two hits.
He also delivered a solid regular season for the Brewers, who acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, going 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 13.1 innings over 11 regular season appearances, with three holds.
Romero went 3-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 56.1 innings over 55 appearances with St. Louis and Milwaukee, recording 54 strikeouts and 18 walks. Opponents hit .238 against him.
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That performance was not an aberration. Romero has posted an ERA of 3.68 or lower during each of the past four seasons.
He has developed into a dependable left-handed workhorse with a healthy Strikeout-to-walk Ratio (K/BB) who consistently limits opposing hitters.
Romero does not rely on overpowering pitches. The movement on his two primary pitches, his sinker and sweeper, produces something every team values: ground balls.
Texas frequently rebuilds its bullpen from one season to the next. The Rangers may be unable to retain Tyler Alexander, another left-hander with a similar pitching approach. If Alexander departs, Romero would become an excellent replacement.
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How Romero can help Rangers
Romero would give Texas a reliever capable of entering with runners on base and escaping trouble without needing a strikeout. His sinker can create double-play opportunities, while his sweeper gives him another way to disrupt hitters' timing.
His ability to handle frequent appearances would also help stabilize a bullpen that undergoes considerable turnover. Romero attacks hitters through movement, location and contact management rather than pure velocity.
That style can remain effective in different situations because it does not depend entirely on overpowering opponents. For a Rangers team seeking dependable production at a reasonable cost, Romero offers the precise combination Young should pursue.
