The ride is over for Sergio Romo.
Removed from the closer role after his fifth blown save of the year and an inflated 5.17 ERA, the Giants are headed in another direction when it comes to the ninth inning.
Maybe we shouldn't put the nail in Romo's coffin just yet, as he has proved he can be a successful closer at the major league level.
However, there are a few signs hinting that Romo's removal from the ninth inning role will work itself out to be much more permanent than temporary – even if the team isn't planning it that way.
First of all, the league has caught up with Romo's slider – a pitch that was nearly untouchable for the first five years of his career. It was the kind of pitch that hitters knew was coming, but still couldn't hit.
But just like anything in baseball, players adjust. Romo hasn't found a way to respond to those adjustments now that he can no longer rely exclusively on his slider to get batters out.
Unlike the prototypical closer, Romo doesn't rely on heat, instead using location and movement to keep hitters off balance.
While that strategy works if his control is on point, it becomes disastrous if he misses spots – something Romo is beginning to do with more frequency.
Guys like Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen can get away with missing location, since the velocity on their high 90's fastball is often enough to make a hitter miss.
It's extremely difficult to do the same with a slider, meaning missed spots are magnified instead of hidden behind the radar gun.
Since Romo isn't going to magically gain 10 MPH on his fastball, he needs to find a way to adjust to hitters – whether it be with another out-pitch or a refinement to his once dominant slider.
Another factor is Romo's confidence level. 
Everyone talks about the 'closer mentality' and how a pitcher either has it or they don't.
Part of that mentality is having thick skin, and knowing how to bounce back from rough outings and the resulting criticism that comes with blowing a game.
Romo hasn't had to do that many times in his career, which is both a blessing and a curse. Blowing a game is one thing, but being removed from the closer role completely is something that can shake anyone's confidence.
There's no telling if he will ever regain that confidence until he gets another opportunity. Of course, if he gets another chance to close and lacks the confidence to do so, the cycle just continues.
Romo won the closer job because he performed well during a time of need, but the team never really viewed him as their permanent solution.
It's entirely possible that Romo just isn't cut out for the ninth inning and it was just a matter of time before he was exposed.
The final thing to consider actually has nothing to do with Romo's ability on the mound, but rather his contract status.
Coming up on six years of service time, Romo can become a free agent at season's end.
The closer role has by far the most turnover of any position in the game, which means teams are reluctant to shell out big contracts to anyone but the most elite closers.
Now that Romo's role is in flux, the Giants won't go out of their way to please him with a huge contract – even if that means risking losing him in free agency. The team has other needs to focus their financial resources on.
There's a good chance Romo will see saves again this season, but as previously stated, he may not be the long-term solution anymore.
Enter Heath Hembree, the guy who has been regarded as the future closer for San Francisco ever since he was drafted in 2010.
While Santiago Casilla and Jeremy Affeldt are splitting closer duties for the time being, Hembree has the most to gain from the vacancy.
He still needs to make it to the majors and stick there, but now that the team is in need of relief options, Hembree's time may have arrived.
The Giants aren't going to thrust him into
the ninth inning right away, but he may get an opportunity here and there to showcase his ability.
As long as Hembree has moderate success in his first taste of late relief, he should be considered the front-runner to take over the job full-time in 2015.
It should be stated that he would have stiff competition with guys like Casilla, Jean Machi and potentially Derek Law (assuming his elbow injury isn't Tommy John worthy).
However, Hembree has been groomed as a closer in the minors, which can go a long way towards setting himself up for sustained success at the big league level, whereas the Giants current options seem to be short-term fixes.
Romo's ascension to the throne of the bullpen was a great ride, and maybe it isn't quite over yet, but the Giants must begin the task of finding the heir to the throne, regardless of what happens over the next few months.
For more content by Chris Kersevan, check out his writer’s page and on Twitter @cker7
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