MLB Rumors: Another Cardinals Pitcher is Drawing Heavy Trade Interest
The next name drawing attention is lefty reliever JoJo Romero, who, as multiple reports note, has been a popular target in early trade conversations. It is easy to see why.
Romero is entering his final year of club control with a projected $4.4 million salary for 2026, and he just wrapped up a career year: 2.07 ERA over 61 innings, 24 holds, eight saves and a heavy ground-ball profile that plays in any park.
Per @jmjones, #STLCards LHP JoJo Romero is generating a decent amount of trade interest pic.twitter.com/8Mi5yw8AWm
— Jeremy Karp (@jkarpsportsfan1) November 25, 2025
Why Romero Fits The Trade Market So Well
Romero’s profile lines up perfectly with this winter’s demand. Contenders are hunting for reliable left-handed relief, yet the free-agent market is full of older arms or short track records.
By contrast, Romero is 29, has posted a 2.93 ERA over 156 2/3 innings since 2023, and just handled late-inning work after Ryan Helsley’s departure. That combination should bring back a meaningful prospect or two for a rebuilding Cardinals club that already looks younger and thinner on the mound.
With Gray, Miles Mikolas and Helsley gone, Romero is suddenly one of the elder statesmen on the staff, which only adds to the sense that St. Louis will move him while his value is high rather than risk an injury or slump dragging down the return.
Cardinals will first market JoJo Romero with one year of control. Other RP they’ll listen on and sell high is Riley O’Brien, Depending on the scope of the tear down, they’ll eventually listen on Kyle Leahy and Matt Svanson. Every contender needs cheap high leverage arms.
— MLBExecutiveBurner (@HotStoveintel) November 25, 2025
Still, there is a small argument for keeping him. A young rotation led by arms like Matthew Liberatore could benefit from at least one proven late-inning presence, and the front office has hinted they will not dump players just for the sake of it.
Given how aggressively they acted on Gray, though, the feeling around the league is that JoJo Romero is more likely than not to be the next veteran pitcher headed out of Busch Stadium before Opening Day.
Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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