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  • The Rise and Fall of Fernando Romero

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Pitching prospects can be fickle, especially in a modern era that sees players develop shoulder, elbow, and other arm problems from hurling a round object at over 90 mph. Just three years ago, Fernando Romero was considered the Twins best pitching prospect, but word came out on Thursday that the team had released him. So, what happened to this once promising arm?

    Image courtesy of © Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

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    Romero’s Rise

    Romero joined the Twins organization as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic. He signed with the Twins on February 2, 2012 and his first professional season came as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. He posted a 4.65 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP in 31 innings that season. His next season was even better as he came stateside with the GCL Twins. He lowered his ERA to 1.60 and struck out more than a batter per inning.

    Minnesota continue to be aggressive with Romero in 2014 as he got his first taste of a full-season league. He was nearly three years younger than the average age of the players in the Midwest League. Unfortunately, he would only pitch 12 innings that season after tearing his UCL which required Tommy John surgery. Romero wouldn’t make another professional appearance until the 2016 season.

    Some players can struggle when returning from Tommy John surgery as they try and shake off the rust, but Romero certainly didn’t find those struggles. He pitched at Low- and High-A in his return and posted video game like numbers while still being young for both levels. His ERA was under 1.95 in both stops that season and he had a miniscule 0.897 WHIP. He was firmly back on the prospect map.

    Romero spent all of 2017 at Double-A where he made 23 starts and pitched over 120 innings for the first time in his career. He ended the year with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP with a 120 to 45 strikeout to walk ratio. He was on the cusp on cracking into the big leagues and he got that call in 2018.

    On May 2, 2018, Romero made his big-league debut against the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings by limiting Jays batters to four hits. He walked three, struck out five, and was credited with his first win. His next start against St. Louis was even better as he struck out nine over six shutout innings and picked up another win. Obviously, things couldn’t continue to go that well. He ended his rookie season with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP across 11 starts, but he had clearly shown some positive signs throughout the season.

    https://twitter.com/MatthewTaylorMN/status/1339960027482894336?s=20

    Romero’s Fall

    Things weren’t as promising during the 2019 season. The Twins started using Romero as a relief option at Triple-A and he posted a 4.37 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in 57 2/3 innings. At the big-league level, there was some good and some bad as he adjusted to his new role. He allowed multiple runs in five of his 15 appearances and there were multiple times he pitched less than an inning. In his other 10 appearances, he didn’t allow a run, but the damage was already done. He ended the year with an ERA north of 7.00 and a 2.14 WHIP.

    Romero was supposed to enter the 2020 season with a chance to make the Twins bullpen coming out of spring training. That didn’t happen as Romero dealt with visa issues and was placed on the restricted list for the entire season. According to MLB.com reports, Romero flew from his native Dominican Republic to Atlanta ahead of the February 12 reporting date for pitchers and catchers. When he arrived, he got into a customs issue and was sent back to the Dominican Republic to submit paperwork for a new visa. Few other reports came out about the issue before the Twins released him this week.

    Romero will turn 26-years old in the coming days and the one-time top prospect is going to be searching for a new organization. Minnesota’s release of Romero might seem like a surprise, but the club likely has more information on the reasons he continued to have visa issues this year. He still has the plenty of potential, but like all pitching prospects, time could be running out.

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    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    Doctor Gast

    Doctor Gast 4,328

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Fernando Romero 2020 is still a mystery. I didn't liked that they switched him to BP. I think most pitchers have their hearts set on starting, they think BP                          is a demotion. Most pitchers usually want to exhaust all possibility before           surrendering to the idea of relieving. I believe Romero never really accepted that decision. 

    I have no idea what happened to Romero in 2020. I'm just disappointed that he never realized his potential w/ us

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    puckstopper1

    puckstopper1 1,243

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    When news broke of Romero's visa issues last spring, I was seriously concerned and rightly so.

     

    Given baseball is his career and livelihood, these issues should not happen unless there was a major issue with Romero.

     

    Perhaps we will never know the full story but the issues with Romero were serious enough for the Twins to give up on what was once a very highly valued prospect.

     

    I hope he figures things out and can comeback and have a successful career.

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    Vanimal46

    Vanimal46 28,724

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    When news broke of Romero's visa issues last spring, I was seriously concerned and rightly so.

     

    Given baseball is his career and livelihood, these issues should not happen unless there was a major issue with Romero.

     

    Perhaps we will never know the full story but the issues with Romero were serious enough for the Twins to give up on what was once a very highly valued prospect.

     

    I hope he figures things out and can comeback and have a successful career.

    Well said. We will most likely never hear the story of Fernando Romero in 2020. It’s strange he was one of very few with this visa issue. I was hoping he’d be back for a redemption story in 2021.

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    jmlease1

    jmlease1 6,071

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    yeah, I'm guessing that his visa issue still isn't resolved or the Twins wouldn't have cut him. So it's looking doubtful that he plays in 2021, after not playing in 2020, and not playing well in 2019...maybe he can get his life squared away and I hope for his sake he does. But his MLB chances may have slipped away.

     

     

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    dougd

    dougd 253

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    He came to the USA last winter on a tourist visa. Was it to go ice-fishing in the great Minnesota northlands? No, it was to be part of Twins Fest. Did he get any compensation, such as room and board? If so, he violated immigration laws, and was subject to a 5 year ban. When he got to Atlanta on the way to spring training and was questioned, was he likely to lie about why he had come to Minnesota in January?

     

    When you read the comments on traderumours, it is mostly surmising about criminal conduct being the reason for the release. I don't know anything about Fernando Romero as a person, but I am much more inclined to blame ICE and the Twins than Fernando. Obviously, this opinion could be completely wrong, but I do know a fine young person who was even white that was banned for  5 five years for a similar offense.

     

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    h2oface

    h2oface 7,066

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    I'm thinking that perhaps his visa issues may now be resolved to the point they had to activate him, and they didn't want to tie up a 40 man spot on a guy that has an uncertain future going forward.

     

    With only 35 on the 40 man.... Romero would have not been an immediate burden at all, I would think. They were done with him, and made the 300K.

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    Doctor Gast

    Doctor Gast 4,328

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    He came to the USA last winter on a tourist visa. Was it to go ice-fishing in the great Minnesota northlands? No, it was to be part of Twins Fest. Did he get any compensation, such as room and board? If so, he violated immigration laws, and was subject to a 5 year ban. When he got to Atlanta on the way to spring training and was questioned, was he likely to lie about why he had come to Minnesota in January?

     

    When you read the comments on traderumours, it is mostly surmising about criminal conduct being the reason for the release. I don't know anything about Fernando Romero as a person, but I am much more inclined to blame ICE and the Twins than Fernando. Obviously, this opinion could be completely wrong, but I do know a fine young person who was even white that was banned for  5 five years for a similar offense.

    What you wrote makes the most sense. If indeed it's the case, the Twins should have straightened out this mess w/ immigration. Romero leaving nice & warm Dominican Republic to come to freezing MN          for Twins fest, had to be motivated. Then being rewarded by this mess. A total shame, the Twins dropped the ball. Wish him well!

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    mikelink45

    mikelink45 10,958

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I blame the Twins for how they handled Romero.  He was a starter and then he was a reliever and he never got himself grounded again.  It does not always work to change a player's position - see Sano and RF. 

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    jmlease1

    jmlease1 6,071

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    I blame the Twins for how they handled Romero.  He was a starter and then he was a reliever and he never got himself grounded again.  It does not always work to change a player's position - see Sano and RF. 

     

    I don't think getting moved to the 'pen is a good excuse for screwing up your visa and carelessly mucking about with weed. Romero blew up his own career in MLB, and it's too bad. Maybe he'll get it together in Japan, but it's telling that he literally had no real opportunity in MLB.

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