Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Cardinals Unlikely Arm Becoming 2026 Roster Lock

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals traded Ryan Helsley away this summer which should have crushed this bullpen.

But, that just hasn't been the case. The Cardinals' bullpen had held up even without Helsley thanks in large part to the play of 28-year-old JoJo Romero. He has three saves and a win in six appearances since then. He's been great and unsurprisingly, FanSided's Miranda Remaklus said Romero is one of the top guys who have improved in the second half.

"JoJo Romero," Remaklus said. "After the team traded off relievers Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton, Romero became the next man up to take on the higher-leverage relief situations for the Cardinals. Over his last seven games, Romero is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA with three saves. He's pitched eight innings, given up three earned runs and four walks, and struck out seven batters.

JoJo Romero has perfectly replaced Ryan Helsley for the Cardinals

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"On Sunday night, he earned the save against the Cubs after going 1.1 innings, giving up three hits and a walk. He earned the win on August 6 against the Dodgers. He threw one inning of baseball, giving up a hit and striking out one batter. He earned the loss in Wednesday's series finale with the Colorado Rockies. He pitched one inning, giving up two hits, a walk, and two earned runs while striking out three batters.

"He walked Kyle Karros and struck out Brenton Doyle before giving up a two-run homer to Hunter Goodman. Since the deadline, Romero has proven to be a trustworthy arm out of the bullpen as long as he's in an ideal situation."

Overall, the expectations were not high at all once Helsley was traded. But, Romero has shown that he can be the guy and carry the load. Helsley made it clear beofre being traded that he would be open to coming back if everything works out in free agency. If Romero continues to shine, it would make investing in the closer role unlikely, but that is speculation.

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

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