Fernando Romero
Fernando Romero was one of the players that created the most buzz throughout spring training for the Twins. Romero has always been recognized as a pitcher with some of the best stuff in the Twins minor leagues. One of the worries has been that Romero wouldn’t be able to hold up as a starter and is destined for a bullpen role. After this spring, Romero looked not just every bit of a starter but even a potential ace.
Romero will start his 2018 at Triple-A Rochester where Red Wing fans will get an up close look at his arsenal. Romero is able to throw a fastball in the upper 90s and then come back on a batter with a slider in the low 80s.
It is that type of stuff that really gives Romero a lot of flexibility in how he could help the Twins at really any point in 2018. In the event another Twins starter goes down or struggles, Romero serves as a great option for the Twins to turn to as one of the five rotation arms. Also down the stretch of the season he could fortify the backend of the bullpen as a shutdown arm much like David Price did for Tampa Bay years ago.
It has been a tough go to start the season for many baseball teams, regardless of level, to get games in. Romero and the Red Wings encountered 3 straight postponed games to begin their season. Becuase of those postponements the Red Wings have gotten creative with their pitchers and Romero saw his first appearance in relief. He went 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, two unearned runs, and issuing three strikeouts. Not exactly the dominant performance that is the hope long-term for Romero. That is exactly why he will have time to develop further before potentially impacting the Twins later in 2018.