JoJo Romero Trade Talk Feels Early, But Cardinals Shouldn't Ignore

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of baseball's biggest surprises this season. But could there still be trades on the way?

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

No matter how well the St. Louis Cardinals play, trade speculation and rumors are going to follow this club, unless they are significantly above .500 by the time the trade deadline rolls around in August.

The trade deadline is going to come on Aug. 3. There's a lot of time between now and then, of course. St. Louis lost against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, 4-1, to drop its record to 14-10 on the season. It's a great record. There are just five teams in the National League with more wins than the Cardinals right now. The Atlanta Braves are leading the way with 17 wins. The Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are all tied with 16 wins. The Chicago Cubs are the final team ahead of the Cardinals in wins right now with 15.

St. Louis is playing like a team that can make some noise and at least be in contention for a playoff spot later on in the campaign. But will this level of play hold? That's the question and the reason why the speculation and rumors aren't going to slow down. St. Louis set the precedent this past offseason by trading Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras away. There are other veteran pieces to watch this summer, including JoJo Romero, Dustin May, Lars Nootbaar, and maybe even Ryne Stanek if he can turn his season around.

It was known coming into the season that the 2026 season is about development. Would being four games above .500 be enough to change the course away from trading pieces away? Likely not. What about 10-plus? Maybe at that point. But that's speculation. As of right now, if you're a Cardinals fan, ride the wave. The season has been fun so far. But know that there could be movement. For example, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller ranked Romero among the top-10 most likely trade candidates for this year's deadline.

Who Could Be On The Move?

Apr 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jojo Romero (59) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

"Romero isn't a flamethrowing strikeout machine, but he gets the job done all the same," Miller wrote. "His sinker/sweeper/changeup arsenal is quite effective at inducing groundouts. There is a whole host of contenders who could use a high-leverage pitcher who has held opposing left-handed hitters to a .537 OPS in his career.

"Just for fun, let's call our shot with this one: Romero gets traded to Baltimore for a reunion with Ryan Helsley and for a bunch of 'Can't spell JoJo Romero without the O's' jokes. At any rate, that's a bullpen lacking for southpaws."

Miller isn't wrong. It was somewhat surprising that Romero didn't get traded this past offseason with one season to go until free agency. He's heading to the open market after the 2026 season wraps up. He had a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances last season and likely could've fetched a pretty penny in the trade market. But the Cardinals held on. Now, Romero has a 2.25 ERA in 11 appearances so far this season. If the Cardinals are going to make a trade, he feels like the most likely candidate to go. But, that all depends on how St. Louis plays over the next few months.