A former American League All-Star closer is attempting to rebuild his career in Colorado, reunited with the pitching coach who helped him reach his highest point in the sport.
Romano and Matt Buschmann previously shared a staff in Toronto, where Romano served as the Blue Jays' closer and Buschmann held roles in bullpen coaching and pitching development. That stretch of collaboration produced a 2.11 ERA for Romano and the beginning of consecutive seasons in which he saved 36 games. The arrangement ended before the 2023 campaign, with Buschmann departing the organization in January while Romano stayed on and earned a second All-Star nod, finishing with a 2.90 ERA. Romano later described the separation as costly to his development, saying Buschmann had been reliable about reviewing his outings every couple of weeks and helping him make corrections before problems compounded.
Trouble arrived in full force during 2024, when Romano managed only 15 appearances while battling a right elbow condition that eventually required surgery. Facing an estimated $7.75 million cost to keep him on the roster for 2025, Toronto chose not to tender him a contract, ending his time with the organization after 105 career saves. His first season away from the Blue Jays, spent in Philadelphia, produced an ERA of 8.23 across 42.2 innings. He then signed with the Los Angeles Angels, but after surrendering runs at a 10.13 rate over eight innings, they released him on April 27.
Nine days after that release, Colorado signed Romano to a minor league contract, bringing him into an organization where Buschmann now serves as bullpen coach. He traveled to Scottsdale to work in the Rockies' pitching lab, made one appearance in the Arizona Complex League following his adjustments, was assigned to Triple-A in early June, and returned to the major league roster on July 4 in a late-inning capacity.
Through his first 5.2 innings in a Rockies uniform, Romano carries a 1.59 ERA with three saves, the most recent of which included a two-strikeout inning to close out Colorado's 8-7 win over Washington. Buschmann credited Romano's physical recovery as the central factor in his improved performance, saying, "I think he never found what he felt back in Toronto when he was locked in," and adding that Romano "finally has his strength back to preinjury levels" and can now execute the mechanical elements that defined his best work.
Romano acknowledged that his velocity came in well below expectations despite substantial offseason effort, and said he is still working to understand why, adding that gaining additional speed on the pitch would allow his slider and his overall arsenal to function more effectively. Buschmann said Romano's slider and his ability to command it have never truly deserted him, but that recovering enough fastball velocity to make the pitch harder to read will be decisive for his continued success.
Whether Romano can close the remaining gap in pitch speed — and sustain his early results — will be the central question surrounding his Rockies tenure as the second half of the season continues.