Sep 22, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Cardinals Lefty Reliever Emerging As Offseason Trade Chip

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have seemingly entered a huge rebuild this winter. They're adding a lot of prospects to their farm system by trading veterans from their big league club.

They moved Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox in a pair of offseason deals earlier in the winter. Earlier this month, they sent Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a one-for-one swap.

The Cardinals are heading in the right direction. They're loading up their minor league system with young talent in order to bounce back in the coming years. But there's a chance they continue looking to move on from big league talent.

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Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently suggested the Cardinals could look to trade left-handed relief pitcher JoJo Romero to continue their rebuild this offseason.

Cardinals could cut ties with JoJo Romero in an offseason trade

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"Romero had a 2.07 ERA last season, saving eight games and tallying 24 holds, blowing just one lead along the way," Miller wrote. "He could be a closer or a set-up man, and there's no particularly good reason for St. Louis to hang onto this impending free agent while churning through their rebuild. But maybe they'll keep him for a few months, hoping to flip him for a nice haul ahead of the summer deadline."

Romero is one of the most valuable trade chips left on the Cardinals. There are players like Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar who make sense as pieces the Cardinals could move, but left-handed relievers are hard to come by in the big leagues.

Practically any contending team would be open to bringing Romero to their bullpen. He's one of the better southpaw relievers in the National League. Teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox could call their phone in an attempt to bring Romero to their team.

There's a chance the Cardinals could pair Romero with Donovan or Nootbaar in a blockbuster trade. The Seattle Mariners would make sense as a fit in a deal like this.

Either way, there's no use for the Cardinals to hold onto Romero if they're not trying to contend this season.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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