CHICAGO – The Twins swung a deal with the Miami Marlins for veteran reliever Sergio Romo, giving up minor league first baseman Lewin Diaz on Saturday.
The Twins also will receive righthander Chris Vallimont and a player to be named later.
Romo, 36, has been an effective reliever for many years, rising to fame as a setup man when he was a three-time champion with the San Francisco Giants. He joined Miami this year after spending 2018 with Tampa Bay and splitting 2017 with the Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I'm super excited. They're in a really, really good position to make a playoff push, and that's exciting," Romo told reporters in Miami. "It's super fun baseball to play. But kind of mixed feelings, because I get to leave a bunch of dudes that I've grown to love."
In 38 games this season, Romo is 2-0 with a 3.58 ERA and 17 saves. In 37⅔ innings, he has walked 13 and struck out 33. His strikeout ratio of 7.9 per nine innings is a career low, but the righthander has avoided hard contact thanks to a slider-changeup combination. His average fastball is 86.5 miles per hour.
"He's ultracompetitive. He wants the ball. He's scared of nothing," said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who worked with the Rays the past four seasons. "Everyone knows him as a pitcher. He's been around for a very long time.
"He's had a very successful career. He's pitched in some big, big spots. Once you get a chance to know him, you can see how he's had success in those spots."
Romo, who has 126 career saves, will join a bullpen mix that the Twins have altered in recent weeks by designating for assignment Adalberto Mejia, Matt Magill, Mike Morin and Blake Parker. Lefthander Taylor Rogers is expected to get most of the save opportunities while Romo helps out as setup man, but there could be times Romo is asked to get the final three outs.
