Former Fish

A welcome back and an emotional goodbye

Throughout the season, we’ll periodically check in on former Marlins who are up to interesting things. As we transition from Spring Training into the regular season, today we have a look at the fascinating road Scott McGough has traveled leading him to Arizona’s 2023 Opening Day roster and Sergio Romo’s tearful goodbye by the Bay.

Remember Scott McGough?

The righthander out of the University of Oregon was drafted by the Dodgers in the 5^th round in 2011 and, a year later, was dealt to the Marlins with Nathan Eovaldi in the deal that sent Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate to Los Angeles.

He had a cup of coffee with Miami as a 25-year-old in 2015, pitching 6 times in low-leverage relief in August and September to the tune of a 9.45 ERA in 6 2/3 innings.

The following April, McGough was claimed off waivers by the Orioles, and he pitched in Double-A and Triple-A with the O’s and Rockies in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

In 2019, 29-years-old and in search of a new experience, he headed to Japan and spent the last 4 seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. In 236 Japanese Central League relief appearances, the Plum, PA native was 15-8 with 80 saves and a 2.94 ERA. His strikeout rate was up, and his walk rate down from the 7 seasons he spent in the minors, and his 38 saves last season were one shy of the league lead.

He helped the Swallows capture back-to-back Central League titles the last 2 years and a Japan Series victory in 2021. That summer, he pitched for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics, coming out of the bullpen in 5 of 6 games as the US took home the Silver Medal.

“When I first went over to Japan, the thought was to play there for a year and kind of propel myself back to the major leagues,” McGough told writers this spring. “But once I got to Japan, I loved it so much, and I realized it was such a fantastic place. I considered spending the rest of my career there.

“The baseball was better than I expected. The fans were awesome. The Swallows treated me great. The whole experience was amazing.”

Despite not having thrown a major league pitch since 2015, McGough signed a 2-year, $6.25 million deal with the D-Backs in December. He dazzled in the Cactus League, registering a 1.93 ERA in 10 games, striking out 11 and walking only 2 in 9 1/3 innings.

“If you throw well enough, there are scouts everywhere.,” McGough said. “Now, I’m coming back a little older and, I feel, both a little smarter and a better pitcher.”

In his return to the majors, McGough is expected to work high-leverage innings for manager Torey Lovullo, who himself spent a season with Yakult in 2000 after playing all or part of 8 seasons in the big leagues.

The pitcher upon whom Lovullo will call in 2023 isn’t the same pitcher who debuted with the Marlins 8 seasons ago. Primarily a fastball-slider pitcher when he passed through Miami, McGough developed a highly effective split-fingered fastball in Japan. While most pitchers bury their splitter, hoping to get hitters to chase the pitch down and out of the zone, McGough showed the ability with the Swallows and again this spring to consistently throw his split in the strike zone.

“He’s a little different breed,” D-Backs bullpen coach Mike Fetters said this spring. “He’s got all the weapons. Now, it’s just a matter of execution.”

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ROMO SAYS GOODBYE

Sergio Romo pitched 15 seasons for 8 major league teams and was a valuable—and hugely entertaining--member of the 2019 Marlins.

But he’ll be best-remembered for his 9 seasons with the Giants between 2008 and 2016, one of 8 players who contributed to all 3 San Francisco World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

So it was only fitting that, with the 40-year-old ready to hang up his spikes, the Giants signed Romo this spring so he could pitch one final time in Black and Orange in the club’s end-of-spring exhibition against the Athletics at Oracle Park Monday night.

"Very fitting to find some closure in what literally, for me, was a storybook career," the 2013 All-Star told writers after the game.

Greeted by a raucous standing ovation from sentimental Giants fans when he entered the game in the 7^th inning, Romo was quickly jolted right back to the present as he was called for 2 pitch clock violations before even throwing a pitch. The first was for taking too long to complete his warmups, the second for taking too long to deliver his first pitch.

In a 2-0 hole to begin the inning, he walked the first batter, threw a wild pitch and then allowed consecutive singles, scoring a run, before former teammate Hunter Pence—as had been the plan—emerged from the third base dugout to remove Romo from his final game.

Making his way back to the dugout amid another extended ovation, Romo tipped his cap and hugged manager Gabe Kapler before returning to the field for a curtain call, tears welling in his eyes.

"I understand how special this opportunity was," he said. “What an experience.”

Prior to heading to the ballpark on his final day in a big league uniform, Romo took to Instagram to celebrate the occasion as only he can.