As much as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, Jordan Romano was the face of this era of Blue Jays baseball. But his place in the franchise’s future is unclear heading into the offseason.

The 31-year-old Markham native pitched 229.2 innings in six seasons with the Jays, saving 105 games and making two All-Star teams. But, after an injury-riddled and statistically disastrous 2024, the Blue Jays have a decision to make: tender him a contract, rework a deal, or let Romano go?

Blue Jays have until Nov. 22 to decide path forward, with MLB arbitration non-tender deadline to 7 p.m. ET that Friday. So what is the best option?

Submit a contract

The Blue Jays have some tough decisions to make in the bullpen, and they are looking to remake the bullpen, with Chad Green being the only reliever really locked into a roster spot next year. They have already left Génesis Cabrera walks and still might not tender Erik Swanson and Dillon Tate. But surely they would bring the kid back from their hometown?

MLB Trade Rumors estimates that Romano’s 2025 arbitration contract would cost around $7.75 million, the exact amount he earned in 2024. If he’s closer to Romano from 2021 to 2023, who pitched to a 2 ERA .37 and saved 95 games over three seasons, it’s the easiest deal in baseball. . But Romano’s latest release is full of red flags — and $7.75 million is a lot to invest in such uncertainty.