Why These Two Cardinals Pitchers Could Interest Athletics

The St. Louis Cardinals sit with one of the better records in baseball at 34-28 heading into Sunday's contest against the Reds. They look like they want to keep their young core but trade away some of their older arms and some guys who could be hitting the open market sooner than later.

According to Bob Nightengale, there are a couple of arms the Cardinals are looking to trade, and they both might catch the attention of A's GM David Forst and the rest of the organization.

LHP JoJo Romero

The A's bullpen has a clear lack of left-handed pitching this season. Before the team acquired Jose Suarez from the Mariners, Hogan Harris was the only southpaw in their bullpen.

Now, the club could look to add yet another southpaw to the mix this summer. Future Hall-of-Famer Aroldis Chapman could be a sneaky fit for the A's, but in all likelihood, a bigger contender will likely outbid them.

Instead, a cheaper option could be the 29-year-old JoJo Romero. The former fourth-round pick is in his seventh big-league season and has spent five seasons with the Cardinals' organization.

Romero currently holds a 3.54 ERA in 28 innings for St. Louis. However, his numbers from last season stick out even more. He has more closing experience than many of the current A's bullpen arms, as he collected eight saves last season and posted an impressive 2.07 ERA.

The left-hander will hit free agency in the fall and is currently making $4.26 million this season. This means his trade value should not be too high, but he can still make an impact on the current squad this summer.

RHP Dustin May

Just like Romero, Cardinals veteran Dustin May is in his seventh big league season and has posted a 4.59 ERA in 66.2 innings this year.

The A's rotation has taken some big hits recently, as their ace, Luis Severino, has headed to the injured list . That came a few days after veteran Aaron Civale was also announced to miss time for the Green and Gold as well.

With the length of those injuries unknown, the A's might just go out and land a starter via trade. Dustin May hasn't been as effective the last two seasons, coming off not pitching in 2024.

Adding another veteran to the rotation might be the right move. There are a ton of young guys that could take spots in the A's rotation, but as the A's look to contend in the AL West, they are best off going with a proven option.

May has a mutual option following this season, so he will likely hit the open market. Like Romero, they are both just rentals. This means if the A's decide they want either player, they shouldn't have to pay an extreme price.