Cardinals Mock Trade: Blue Jays Land Star Pitcher from St. Louis' Bullpen

The Cardinals and Blue Jays could come together on a blockbuster trade ahead of opening day...

Aug 28, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) reacts after pitching the last pitch of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in the league this offseason, but it hasn't been in the most exciting way. Rather than adding a lot of big-league talent to the roster, the Cardinals have cut ties with four talented veterans in order to aim toward the future. They've brought in a slew of prospect talent.

As a result, the future looks much brighter for St. Louis. But they might not be done making trades just yet.

JoJo Romero, the Cardinals closer, could find himself moved in the coming weeks. He's a very talented lefty reliever, which is crucial for a contending team to have, but it doesn't move the needle for a rebuilding team like the Cardinals. As a result, the Cardinals would be better off trading him to mortgage his value.

The Toronto Blue Jays could use a high leverage lefty in their bullpen. With how aggressive they were in free agency, it wouldn't be shocking to see them in the Romero sweepstakes.

Here's a mock trade that could make it happen:

Why this works for the Blue Jays

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero — Sep 22, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés (43) and pitcher JoJo Romero (59) celebrate their 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Blue Jays need to add a high leverage lefty to complement Jeff Hoffman and Tyler Rogers at the backend of games. There aren't many options on the market better than Romero.

Last season, Romero posted a 2.07 ERA while being worth a career high 1.7 WAR. He recorded eight saves, though he'd be a setup man in Toronto, while allowing less than seven hits per nine innings.

The addition of the star lefty would push Toronto in the right direction.

Why this works for the Cardinals

Pinango, 23, is MLB Pipeline's No. 10 ranked prospect in the Blue Jays organization and for good reason. He crushed Double-A pitching last season, but struggled a little bit when he made it to Triple-A. Still, he's likely going to get more looks at the Triple-A level this year. If he can put the pieces together, he could end up contributing in the Cardinals outfield at some point this season.

Perez isn't going to be big league ready this season, but he was very consistent in 26 starts last season. His ERA sat around 3.00 for the entire year as he worked between High-A and Double-A.

The Cardinals would find more value in prospects than they will in Romero remaining on the roster until his contract runs out.