Time Runs Out for Romanick : Angels Send Struggling Pitcher to Edmonton

The Angels decided Tuesday they had seen enough of Ron Romanick and his 5-8 record and assigned him to their Triple-A team in Edmonton.

Rookie right-hander Ray Chadwick (9-9, 4.72 earned-run average for Edmonton) will replace Romanick in the Angel rotation and is expected to make his first start Tuesday in Oakland.

The decision to demote Romanick came one day after a 4-inning, five-run performance against the Milwaukee Brewers. The loss raised his ERA to 5.50 and dropped his record in his last nine decisions to 2-7.

That was enough to convince the Angels. Manager Gene Mauch, General Manager Mike Port and pitching coach Marcel Lachemann met Tuesday and made the change. Port said it was a unanimous decision.

There was earlier speculation that Romanick would be traded, possibly to the Pittsburgh Pirates or Philadelphia Phillies. But Port said “interest in Ron Romanick is not presently what it had been in the past or in past years,” a statement Romanick would later dispute, saying that he knew of “two, three teams ready to make a deal.” Romanick said he preferred not to name the teams.

Romanick, 25, is expected to pitch in Edmonton Saturday. He compiled a 31-29 record during his 2 1/2 seasons with the Angels.

“I just wish more options would have been discussed with me other than this one,” Romanick said. “If they don’t want me to pitch here, why did they send me to Triple-A? I’m not a Triple-A pitcher. I know there’s offers out on the table. So I guess I’m going to be out in limboland until they decide what they want to do, which I don’t think is right.”

A third option was the Angel bullpen, something Romanick said he would have been willing to try. But Mauch said it was never seriously considered. “He ain’t never going to be a reliever, in my opinion,” he said.

That leaves the Angels with a $425,000-a-season Triple-A pitcher, a situation Romanick said he doesn’t understand.

“I don’t see where me going out to Edmonton (will help), unless there’s a direct possibility that’s it’s related to me coming back up, and from all the indications that I’ve gotten, there isn’t any,” Romanick said. “So why not bring in a veteran like they wanted to do and let me go make a name for myself somewhere else?

“I will be back, whether it’s here or somewhere else, I will be back. I feel like I can pitch a long time in this league. I’ve already proven that. I just need the opportunity.”