Yankees Linked to Blockbuster Trade for Cardinals Star Pitcher

The Yankees and Cardinals could come together on a big trade to cap off the offseason...

Apr 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Yankees baseball hats and gloves in the dugout out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been rebuilding for about a year, which became evident last offseason when they opted against signing any top players in free agency.

At the trade deadline, the Cardinals traded a trio of relievers. This offseason, they've continued their rebuild by trading Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Nolan Arenado. But they might not be done yet. Veteran reliever JoJo Romero makes a lot of sense as a trade chip this winter, too.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Andres Chavez of Empire Sports Media recently suggested the New York Yankees could be one of the top fits in the league for Romero in a blockbuster trade to end the offseason.

Yankees make a lot of sense as a fit for JoJo Romero

Sep 7, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) throws in relief in the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"The Yankees’ bullpen doesn’t lack talent, but it does lack certainty, which is why a steady, low-cost reliever like Romero makes sense as a trade target," Chavez wrote. "Romero quietly delivered a strong season with the Cardinals, posting excellent run prevention while handling late-inning responsibilities. His sinker-heavy approach generates ground balls, and his secondary pitches give him enough deception to avoid being pigeonholed as a lefty-only option.

"Over the past few seasons, Romero has established himself as a reliably above-average reliever by most advanced metrics, combining durability with consistent performance against hitters on both sides of the plate. He may not raise the bullpen’s ceiling in a dramatic way, but he would raise its floor, giving Boone another dependable bridge arm in close games before turning things over to David Bednar."

The Yankees haven't made too many big moves this offseason. in fact, they've lost talent from their bullpen while not upgrading much else.

As a result, a trade for the Cardinals' top relief pitcher would make a lot of sense, especially considering he would give them the high leverage lefty that manager Aaron Boone needs. Pairing Romero with David Bednar at the backend of games would create an impressive one-two punch in the Bronx.

The Yankees haven't made any big trades this winter, so they should have the prospect capital to get a deal done before opening day.

More MLB: Why JJ Wetherholt is Primed for Huge Year With Cardinals