Dodgers sign Sergio Romo to 1-year deal

The Dodgers have agreed to terms with Sergio Romo for a one-year, $3M deal pending a physical, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Previously, Heyman had reported that a mystery team was making a late push for Romo while the Dodgers remained the strong favorite. While the Dodgers and Romo had loosely agreed to a contract, no one had put pen to paper yet. Though the Rays and Yankees both had late interest in Romo, he reportedly preferred to play with the Dodgers as per his Southern California roots.

The veteran is more than familiar with the Dodgers’ environment, having been one of their arch-enemies for eight years. The 33-year old was a stronghold in the Giants’ bullpen winning the 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series titles. But his place with San Fransisco was being phased out, and after the Winter Meetings signing of Mark Melancon, gone altogether.

And for good reason: Romo’s velocity has decreased over the past year. But his numbers are still streamline, balancing a 2.58 career ERA and a measly 0.95 WHIP. His slider has remained strong, although sometimes the homegrown Giant has relied on his changeup more than in the past. Romo has been known to falter in close, high pressure situations, including the blown save from last season’s NLCS. Yet, the deal is still a low cost / low risk move for the Dodgers. In exchange for his spot closing games, he’ll likely be the setup man for Kenley Jansen.