Don't get me wrong, Romano seems unsaveable but being tired of watching him, angry because of how he started so badly (and then continued off and on) or annoyed it was a bad signing/about his salary doesn't change the fact that fungible relievers are fungible relievers, and he's likely not worse than some of these other guys. He was a centimeter off the bat away from just getting the last out and being done after one batter last night.
Since June 6 - which I reckon is when the door closed on him as a higher-leverage arm (his last save was on May 29 and then he had three straight games of runs allowed with two losses) - he has had 17 scoreless outings and five bad ones, but only two of those five games were affected by his performance (one actual loss and one close loss he made unwinnable. He even got a hold in one of the others. I'd include last night as a game he almost blew, certainly).
Nothing odd about the Hoffman call-up at all, Lazar would not have been available to pitch last night, so they needed cannon fodder in case of a blowout (in either direction). Romano's outing forced Kerkering into the game or else Hoffman might have pitched two before going back down.
Neither Lazar nor Robert are available this month (15-day option window), Rangel isn't for six more days. Johnson will be shortly. They should probably give Lou Trivinio a look.
