After 15 seasons in the Major Leagues, reliever Sergio Romo will hang up the cleats and it's only fitting he does it with the San Francisco Giants.
Romo has signed a minor league deal with the organization and is set to officially retire as a member of the Giants on March 27th prior to an exhibition game at Oracle Park against the A's. The veteran righty is best known for his time in the Bay Area, where he pitched from 2008-2016. Romo played a key part in their three World Series titles during that span in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
After leaving San Fran, Romo went on to spend stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and most recently, the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022. Romo is actually the franchise leader for the Giants in playoff games pitched at 27. He sealed the deal in the 12′ Fall Classic against the Detroit Tigers, striking out Miguel Cabrera.
The fact that Romo lasted this long in the big leagues as a closer is impressive. What's even more impressive is the California native is just 5 foot 11 and barely cracked 90 mph with his heater. Instead, Romo relied on his absolutely devastating slider that missed countless bats over the years. It was his bread-and-butter pitch and evidently, the offering that made him a lethal arm out of the bullpen.
Romo finishes his career with a 3.21 ERA, 42-36 record, and 137 saves while striking out 789 batters in 722.2 innings of work. Not bad for a 28th-round pick out of a Division II school in Colorado.