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

St. Louis Cardinals $2.2 Million Man Is Much-Needed Good News

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have a roller coaster of a season, to say the least.

St. Louis came out of the gates swinging and surprised people pretty early on. The conversation shifted from who the Cardinals could trade, to who the team maybe could acquire for one last run as John Mozeliak as the team's president of baseball operations. The Cardinals floundered ahead of the All-Star break, though, and the struggles have continued into the second half of the season. Right now, the Cardinals have a 74-79 record.

The Cardinals seemingly didn't have high expectations for the season. The team continued to talked about a "reset" before the campaign began. But, the club itself surely isn't where it probably hoped to be after the great start to the season.

The St. Louis Cardinals have one bright spot for fans to be happy about

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Despite the inconsistency and the struggles, there have been some bright spots. One has been the performance of JoJo Romero this season. The 29-year-old has been lights-out for the team. Despite all of the craziness of the 2025 season, Romero is having the best season of his career so far. Through 62 appearances, Romero has a 2.18 ERA and 53-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 57 2/3 innings pitched. He has seven saves as well and has helped to keep this bullpen afloat after the Cardinals traded Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz.

What makes Romero even better for the team is the fact that this year he was under contract for just $2.26 million and he's under team control for one more season next year as well. The 2025 season has shown where some of the holes are for the organization heading into the 2026 season. The biggest bright spot has been the bullpen in general, but Romero stands out above the rest. The bullpen has been a weapon for the Cardinals at times and he's a reason why.

When the Cardinals traded the trio before the trade deadline, it would've been easy to to pack it up and just get ready for next year. The bullpen stayed the course and has done a very good job since. There are pieces to build around, including Romero.

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

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