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Yankees, Mariners Monitoring Cardinals 2025 Breakout Hurler

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 8:45 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have multiple hot commodities on the trade block right now.

St. Louis, coming off a 78-84 season, is open for business. Rumors have been swirling since last offseason about the possibilities of various players getting moved. This offseason has already proved to be a bit different with Sonny Gray already getting traded to the Boston Red Sox. Who will be next to go? Nolan Arenado? Brendan Donovan? JoJo Romero? The list goes on, and the answer isn't clear.

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While there's no way to know exactly who will be on the move next because of the unpredictable nature of the MLB offseason, there is at least information out there pointing towards interest. For example, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are two teams that have expressed interest in Romero.

Will the Cardinals get a deal done soon?

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"As they consider offers from several teams for lefty reliever JoJo Romero, the Cardinals are exploring the free-agent market for a veteran reliever, possibly a lefty, to add to the bullpen for the coming summer," Goold wrote. "The Cardinals want to add a seasoned reliever in the mold of Phil Maton or Andrew Kittredge to the roster...

"Bloom acknowledged that Romero could be part of that veteran presence. A free agent at season’s end, Romero has drawn significant attention from contending teams, with the Yankees and Mariners among the group to at least express some interest. The Cardinals want to take advantage of that interest to add talent or depth that better fits their future focus. And that’s the strategy. Deal when the offer is right, and backfill with short-term options from the open market."

Typically, the winter meetings are a time when the MLB offseason really picks up steam. This offseason, there were a handful of deals that got done before the winter meetings, like the Gray trade. While a few big signings happened during the winter meetings, including Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Díaz, it was arguably quieter than expected.

For St. Louis, rumors surfaced left and right, but nothing has reached the finish line yet. Romero is 29 years old coming off a season where he logged a 2.07 ERA in 65 total appearances, the best season of his career. New York and Seattle are both teams that have been reportedly eyeing bullpen talent. It's not shocking that a lefty coming off as good a season as Romero is getting interest out there.

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

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