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Romero left out in cold
With Timlin returning, lefthander takes a designated hit
By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff | June 9, 2007

PHOENIX -- The Red Sox made room to activate reliever Mike Timlin tonight by cutting ties with lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero. The ballclub designated Romero for assignment, which means they will have 10 days to trade him, waive him, or release him.

As a player with more than three years' big-league experience, Romero has the right to elect free agency if he clears waivers, rather than accepting an outright assignment to the minor leagues. That's a right he almost certainly will exercise if the Sox don't trade him first.

Any team claiming him on waivers or trading for him would be obligated to pay the balance of his $1.6 million salary. If he is released, another team can sign him for the major-league minimum, and the Sox would pay the difference.

Manager Terry Francona said general manager Theo Epstein informed Romero's agent, Dan Lozano, that he tried to move him before designating him, and is expected to pursue further trade talks.

"That's not a fun way to celebrate a win," said Francona, who informed Romero after the game.

Romero was visibly agitated afterward, firing a towel to the floor before being surrounded by sympathetic teammates, including David Ortiz, Brendan Donnelly, and Joel Pineiro.

"I'm not talking yet," Romero said. "I'm going to go home and regroup, but I don't want to talk to anybody yet. I'm sorry, OK?"

The decision to release Romero was a tacit endorsement of lefthander Javier Lopez, who shook hands with Romero. Lopez supplants Romero as the second lefthanded reliever in the pen, with Hideki Okajima.

"The emergence of Okajima has been unbelievable -- he's been a go-to guy," Francona said. "Then you couple him with Javy, the way he's pitched. Sometimes you have to make some very difficult decisions."

Romero pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam earlier this week in Oakland, Calif., and has shown an uncanny knack for escaping trouble, much of it of his own making. But the control problems that have plagued him in recent years appear to have returned with a vengeance this spring. Romero has walked 12 batters in the last 9 2/3 innings (9 appearances), and opposing hitters are also batting .308 (24 for 78) against him. Lefthanded hitters (.297) are hitting him almost as frequently as right-handed hitters (.317). Add it all up, and Romero has a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.95, the highest in the bullpen.

Lopez, meanwhile, has allowed just two earned runs in his last 10 appearances and has proven effective against left-handers, who are just 7 for 32 (.219) against him. He also has walked just six in 14 innings, a considerable improvement over last season, when he walked 10 in 16 2/3 innings.

The money also argues in favor of a move involving Romero. He is making a relatively modest $1.6 million this season, which means less money for the Sox to eat if they are forced to release him, and is a more palatable for any team considering trading for him. It's conceivable the Sox will not do anything until just before tonight's game.

Timlin pitched a 1-2-3 eighth in his last rehab appearance for Pawtucket Thursday night.