The Washington Nationals have made an interesting move, signing 35-year old former Philadelphia Phillies reliever J.C. Romero to a minor-league contract, according to CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman.
Romero had been a mainstay in the Phillies' bullpen over the past four years, winning a World Series in 2008. But the Phillies elected to designate him for assignment in June, after he lost some responsibility to Antonio Bastardo and Mike Stutes. He wasn't pitching horribly, but the Phillies elected to let him go anyway.
Zuckerman reports that Romero will initially report to AAA-Syracuse, but one would think the team would strongly consider calling him up to the Majors to help improve the team's bullpen. Doug Slaten is on the disabled list, and Sean Burnett has not pitched nearly as well this season as in the past. Given Romero's experience, he probably won't be with Syracuse for long.
For more on the Romero signing, visit Federal Baseball.