D-backs Named Trade Fit For Electric Cardinals Reliever

The Arizona Diamondbacks appear to be done making significant additions to their major league roster, but that doesn't mean there's not still room for improvement. Most notably, the D-backs' bullpen still carries some concerns.

With Andrew Saalfrank down on the IL for the entire year, and A.J. Puk sidelined until at least mid-May, Arizona is in particular need of a quality left-handed reliever. Young southpaw Brandyn Garcia is currently the only lefty expected to make the 26-man roster before opening day.

A recent article from Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer listed one trade each MLB team should consider swinging prior to opening day. Rymer's entry on the D-backs was a logical one: trade for St. Louis Cardinals left-hander JoJo Romero.

Diamondbacks Named Fit for St. Louis Cardinals' JoJo Romero

Aug 30, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Here's what Rymer had to say about the potential fit in Arizona:

"The D-backs did well to bring back Merrill Kelly and to wait out Zac Gallen's market. Their rotation is better for it, but there's still a problem on the pitching side: the bullpen hasn't gotten clear upgrades since posting a 4.82 ERA in 2025.

"It needs another lefty to pair with Brandyn Garcia, and Romero is the most obviously available one out there. He has a standard-issue lefty reliever skill set, in that he doesn't throw hard but gets plenty of ground balls and limits hard contact," Rymer wrote.

Not only is it a logical fit, Romero has been an exceptionally effective reliever over the past three seasons. He's remained mostly healthy, pitching in 65 games in both 2024 and 2025, and posted a career-best 2.07 ERA this past season. For his career, he owns a 3.53 ERA, backed by a solid 3.83 FIP.

He owns a relatively diverse arsenal for a reliever, and his four-seam/sinker combo sit in the mid-90s. He did lose a tick of velocity in 2025, dropping from nearly 95 to around 94, but he was still extremely effective. Romero relied more on his slider last year, a pitch that generated a .181 opposing batting average and .223 slug.

He's been elite at picking up ground balls, with a 57.1% ground ball rate in 2025, but can also dial up the swing-and-miss when necessary. Perhaps most impressively, however, Romero allowed only two home runs over 61 innings.

Arizona needs another leverage southpaw, and Romero could be exactly the type of arm who fits that description. He's still just 29 years old. Depending on the asking price, this is a trade the D-backs should at least consider pursuing.