The Oakland Athletics are bolstering their bullpen, reaching agreement to bring back right-handed reliever Yusmeiro Petit on a one-year deal, and also adding fellow right-hander Sergio Romo, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Petit’s contract is for $2.55 million, while Romo’s one-year deal is for $2.25 million, sources said.
Petit, 36, made 26 appearances for the A’s during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 2-1 with a 1.66 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 21⅔ innings pitched. He made an AL-leading 80 appearances in 2019, when the 97-win A’s lost for a second straight year in the AL wild-card game.
The Minnesota Twins declined a $4.75 million option on Romo in October, making him a free agent. Romo, 37, was 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA and five saves in 24 games during his second season with Minnesota. He struck out 23 and walked seven in 20 innings.
Romo is a 13-year big league veteran with San Francisco (2008-16), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Tampa Bay (2017-18), Miami (2019) and Minnesota (2019-20). He was an All-Star in 2013.
The A’s won the AL West at 36-24 last year after winning 97 games and a wild card in both 2018 and 2019. They defeated the Chicago White Sox in the wild-card round of the playoffs before losing to the Houston Astros three games to one in the best-of-five AL Division Series.
The biggest strength for the A’s last season was a bullpen that led the majors with a 2.72 ERA, but that group is now down Liam Hendriks and Joakim Soria, who departed in free agency.
The Athletic first reported Oakland’s agreements with Petit and Romo.
Information from ESPN’s David Schoenfield and The Associated Press was used in this report.