Cardinals 6-Year Veteran Could Be Next Out After Nolan Arenado

The St. Louis Cardinals may have another move up their sleeve...

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With Nolan Arenado no longer a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, things are a bit more up in the air with the organization.

Trade rumors have dominated the offseason for the organization. St. Louis has now traded Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras. With a reset clearly here the Cardinals have opened up spots on the roster for younger guys. The team made it clear at the beginning of the offseason that this was going to be the strategy and followed through.

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Arenado, Gray, and Contreras weren't the only guys in trade rumors, but they were the most expensive and oldest. Now, the Cardinals are much younger and have already done enough that it would be alright to enter the 2026 season with the roster as is. If the club does decide to make more moves, Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero are the two guys to watch. But, again, the Cardinals already have done what they have needed to do. For Romero, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported that the Seattle Mariners and Cardinals have had "ongoing discussions" around Romero.

The Cardinals still have trade chips

Sep 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"The Seattle Mariners and Cardinals have had ongoing discussions over Donovan and JoJo Romero, and that might still come to fruition," Jones wrote. "The deeper-than-expected freeze of the hot stove is seen around the league as less about concerns over upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations and more about the new reality of how teams do business. Inertia and cost certainty are powerful forces; teams that hold on to their players and prospects never have to worry about being embarrassed when former players succeed elsewhere or when new additions struggle."

Romero and Donovan have both been linked to the Mariners. Romero had a career year in 2025. The lefty logged a 2.07 ERA and 55-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61 innings pitched.

He has a career 3.55 ERA in six big league seasons. He hasn't had an ERA above 3.68 since 2022. If the Cardinals are only going to make one more deal, it would make sense to sell high on Romero. He'll be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season and the Cardinals have already added bullpen arms this offseason, which could help replace him.

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