As the Milwaukee Brewers were busy sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers, one reliever in particular was doing exactly the kind of work that should have the SF Giants paying close attention.
Lefty JoJo Romero looked sharp throughout the NLCS, and his latest outing came with the kind of punch that stands out. In Game 4, he threw two scoreless innings, struck out three batters and helped keep Milwaukee in control. That included Shohei Ohtani to open the bottom of the fifth and Max Muncy to finish the bottom of the sixth.
For a Giants team looking for bullpen help, that’s the sort of performance that turns a pitcher from useful to intriguing. Romero didn’t just shut down the Dodgers once, either. Across the series, he logged three scoreless innings and fanned five.
Romero is 30 and has been steady for years. In 2026, he posted a 3.36 ERA between Milwaukee and the St.
Louis Cardinals. The year before that, he turned in a 2.07 ERA with St.
Louis, and he was solid in both 2023 and 2024 as well.
Now he’s headed for free agency, and the fit in San Francisco makes sense on paper. The Giants are expected to bring back Sam Hentges next season after a decent 2026 coming off injury, but they still need to address the opening created when they traded Erik Miller to the Boston Red Sox.
Romero would give them a left-handed option they can trust late in games, especially against lefties. He’s not a fireballer - his sinker sits in the mid-90’s - but the sweeper gives him a second weapon, and when those two pitches are working, he can be tough to handle.
Of course, getting him won’t come free. The Giants may need to pay up a bit if they want to pull him away from a contender or from a possible return to Milwaukee. The Brewers are known for being pretty frugal in free agency, though, so they could be willing to let him go, especially with Aaron Ashby already anchoring the left side.
Some fans may prefer a bigger swing at Adrian Morejon, the premium lefty reliever on the market. But Romero looks like the more realistic target - and the cheaper one, too. A two-year deal in the $5-10 million per year range would go a long way toward making San Francisco’s bullpen more dependable next season.
In Other News...
Jeremy Affeldt Still Owns One Of The Giants' Wildest October Legacies
Jeremy Affeldts October rsum still stands out whenever the Giants championship years come up, and for good reason. Few relievers in postseason history have been as consistently hard to square up, with Affeldt sitting at the top of the all-time list in WHIP and hits per nine innings among pitchers who threw at least 30 playoff innings. His 0.86 ERA in the playoffs is also part of a tiny class near the very top of the record book, which helps explain why he became such a trusted arm during San Franciscos run of three World Series titles.
The biggest stage of that legacy came in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, when Affeldt delivered 2.1 scoreless innings and picked up the win in the clincher. It was the sort of performance that fit his entire postseason profile: calm, efficient and right on time when the Giants needed it most. Even years later, his October work remains one of the more vivid reminders of how much San Franciscos title teams leaned on relievers who could control the biggest moments. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Can Enjoy This Dodgers Collapse For One Reason
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That contrast is what makes the Dodgers stumble worth noticing in the Bay Area. Los Angeles still has the kind of roster and recent track record that can make a bad week feel like a brief interruption, while the Giants remain in a developmental stage, sorting through the next wave of talent and trying to line up a more sustainable run of competitiveness. Even with attendance trends and the long view in mind, this is the sort of October outcome that gives Giants fans a small but welcome reason to smile. [Read more 🡒]
Former Giants Coach Is Earning Attention As Another Faces Uncertain Future
Jos Alguacil has quietly built a strong case for more attention since leaving San Francisco, and the results in Kansas City are hard to ignore. The former Giants infield coach has spent the past four seasons with the Royals, and this year every one of Kansas Citys infielders was named a finalist for the 2026 Gold Glove awards, a nod to the kind of defensive work that usually reflects steady coaching behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, another former Giants staffer is in a much shakier spot. Ethan Katz, who once served as San Franciscos assistant pitching coach, is now a free agent after being let go by the Astros in the wake of managerial and general manager changes, and his path forward is still unsettled. Houston also blocked Katz from interviewing for a promotion with another club, though that opportunity may still be alive, leaving his next move far from clear. [Read more 🡒]