Ross Atkins confirms Blue Jays 'remain interested' in a reunion with All-Star closer

Ross Atkins has been panned by a lot of Blue Jays followers for his lack of direct answers to specific questions. He uses a chock-full collection of words to express a simple point. Don't we already have enough people in this world who specialize in this form of verbal engineering?

During a recent chat with reporters, Atkins decided to act less dodgy and instead speak more clearly about the club's level of interest in a former All-Star closer they recently decided to non-tender. Injured for most of 2024, closer Jordan Romano nosedived this season and the front office pulled the trigger and sent him to the market. It seems that a reunion with the career Blue Jay is still possible.

"We remain interested in him and will be heavily pursuing his return and hope that's a potential reality," Atkins said in a chat with the media, claiming it was a "very difficult decision."

Toronto needs all the help in the bullpen it can get after a dreadful performance from the unit last season. A healthy Romano obviously could provide that for the Blue Jays, but the question comes down to money. From 2021-2023, Romano accumulated 95 saves, pitched to a sub-3 ERA and whiffed 230 batters. It was downright phenomenal until this nightmare of a campaign in which he posted an abysmal 6.59 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched over 15 relief appearances.

Add to that a laundry list of injuries and the Blue Jays weren't comfortable tendering a contract to a guy projected to make a hefty sum in his final year of arbitration eligibility. Having netted a little over $7 million in his penultimate trip through arbitration last season, Romano would have received a slight bump on that total in 2025. The Jays are eyeing him at a lower price and it will be interesting to see the level of interest he receives around the rest of the league.

The Blue Jays have spent most of the winter stripping down a unit that needs plenty of work for 2025. Maybe addition by subtraction? Gone are Romano, Genesis Cabrera and Dillon Tate. The club needs to explore any and all options in the free agency, trade, minor league signing and waiver markets. Erik Swanson and Chad Green are the only recognizable names in a bullpen that features plenty of openings. Swanson himself is a rebound candidate after a forgettable season on multiple fronts.

Romano is a fan favorite whose jersey you will frequently see around the Rogers Centre. It must be hard for fans to absorb this information even if it's not entirely surprising. If the rest of the winter plays out in a favorable manner for Toronto fans, then we could be seeing Romano trotting out from the mound in the late innings.