Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals-Dodgers Mock Trade: 2-for-1 Swap Cuts Ties With JoJo Romero

The St. Louis Cardinals should give the Los Angeles Dodgers a call.
Patrick McAvoy|
Apr 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player durng a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Apr 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player durng a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsLos Angeles Dodgers

The St. Louis Cardinals should have one more move up their sleeve before the offseason wraps up.

The Cardinals have been aggressive in the trade market and have had success. Trading Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray away stings in the short term, but will help the organization in the long term. The Cardinals have stockpiled young pitchers and have set themselves up to give major league opportunities to young guys on the roster, including potentially JJ Wetherholt.

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All of that is positive. Now, the club should complete the offseason with one more move. JoJo Romero was among the group talked about as trade candidates early on this offseason. While the rest have been moved, Romero is still in St. Louis. Chaim Bloom should prioritize finding a new home for Romero in the coming days because with few high-end relievers available right now, Romero could bring back a pretty penny to St. Louis seeing how he logged a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances in 2025.

Romero has just one season of control left before hitting free agency after the 2026 season. With that being said, here is one mock trade the Cardinals should offer to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cardinals-Dodgers mock trade centered on JoJo Romero

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero
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

Cardinals Receive: OF James Tibbs III (Dodgers No. 8 prospect), RHP Peter Heubeck (Dodgers No. 23 prospect)

Dodgers Receive: LHP JoJo Romero

Explanation:
In this scenario, the Cardinals would trade one year of control of an elite, left-handed reliever for two dice rolls. Tibbs is a 23-year-old outfielder in Double-A. Heubeck is a right-handed pitcher also in Double-A. The Dodgers, who are always looking for ways to add talent, would add another high-end reliever to the team's only area of weakness from the 2025 season.

The Cardinals should be looking for as many ways as possible to add high-end prospects to the organization. Romero is someone who can still bring another prospect to town before the 2026 season.

More MLB: Two Last-Second Predictions as Cardinals Wrap Up Offseason

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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