Oakland Athletics: Miguel Romero poised to win a spot in the bullpen
By Yusseff Diaz
After an impressive Winter League showing, Oakland Athletics prospect Miguel Romero is looking to win a spot in the big-league bullpen.
Miguel Romero of the Oakland Athletics made his Winter League debut with the Mayagüez Indians this year and was impressive.
The Oakland farmhand was a staple of the Puerto Rican team’s bullpen this offseason. The flamethrower posted a record of 2-0, an ERA of 1.46, and saved four games in his brief time in the Caribbean circuit.
"“I adapted very quickly to my surroundings in Puerto Rico. The third base coach here is also in the A’s organization which helped ease my transition. Dereck Rodriguez (Pudge Rodriguez’s son) also helped me plenty in getting accustomed to my new league.”"
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Romero who consistently hits 98 on the radar gun had a decent season last year in Las Vegas (AAA) winning four games and ERA 3.96.
Although his electric fastball gets all the acclaim his changeup is also an elite pitch, “His changeup is very similar to Fernando Rodney‘s and causes a lot of batters to swing and miss,” said A’s assistant GM Billy Owens.
Miguel Romero is primed to win a spot in Oakland’s bullpen especially after a strong winter and has all the tools to develop into a future closer for the team.
“I prepared well during the winter against top competition in Puerto Rico. During the Winter League, one learns a lot from ex-major leaguers that can be applied in real game situations. ”
His performance in the winter has him very confident he can win a spot in the Oakland Athletics bullpen this spring.
"“I signed three years ago and no one thought I would advance through the minors this quick. I was confident in my pitches and that helped my performance. I also added some pitches to my repertoire that I didn’t throw in Cuba.”"
When he first migrated to America he advised me that it was a tough transition. However, having his countrymen Norge Luis Ruiz on the team this season really helped him adapt to this country.
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"“Having Norge on my team helped me adapt to this country. One sometimes feels alone in the country especially when one is so far away from home. Norge and I have been playing together since the juvenile league in Cuba, we even made a national team together. We are very good friends. “"