Two AL Clubs Showing Interest in Cardinals Reliever, Per Insider

The Cardinals may have another strong trade chip.

Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals enter day three of the Winter Meetings with plenty of work still left to be done. There are a lot of trade candidates on the roster, and that includes some very big pieces.

One candidate that isn’t grabbing the headlines but could still bring back a good return is left-hander JoJo Romero. He is in the final year of his contract, so it might make sense to move him.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are indeed listening on Romero and that two American League clubs are showing some interest in the veteran lefty.

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Cardinals Have Two Potential Trade Partners For Left-Hander

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero (59) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The Cardinals are benefitting from a thin year on the open market for lefty relief, and this week offers a chance to see if they can amplify the offers because of the number of teams interested. There are contenders who have at least been in contact, and that includes Mariners and perhaps the Yankees,” Goold said in his weekly chat.

Both New York and Seattle have a ton of pitching depth and prospects, so they line up well as potential trade candidates. The Mariners already grabbed Jose Ferrer from the Washington Nationals, but another presence at the end of games would be a plus for them.

The Yankees lost Devin Williams to the New York Mets, and former Cardinal Luke Weaver is a free agent and may not be back in New York in 2026. So, with a few back-end roles open, the Yankees could be an ideal trade partner for St. Louis as they try to return to the postseason and the Cardinals rebuild.

It may end up being a complete teardown for the Cardinals, but with Romero in the final year of his contract, a trade makes sense, and Chaim Bloom can do what John Mozeliak failed to do with Ryan Helsley last offseason.

The next few weeks should be interesting for St. Louis as they continue their rebuild and try to gain pieces for the future. They need prospects, and they can get some good ones if they trade Romero to Seattle or New York.

We’ll see what Bloom has up his sleeve as the Winter Meetings continue and the offseason progresses for the Cardinals.

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