Yankees Eyeing Cardinals Pitcher After Career-Best Season

The New York Yankees have already made some pitching moves this offseason, and while they are still (potentially) chasing another starter to bolster their injured rotation, they are reportedly inquiring about landing a St. Louis Cardinals reliever in trade.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Gazette shared that the Yankees are among the teams showing interest in left-handed relief pitcher JoJo Romero, who finished 2025 with a 2.07 ERA in 65 games (the best of his career).

Romero, 29, made his professional debut in 2020 with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he floundered. Since being traded to the Cardinals in 2022, Romero has gradually improved, and boasts a 2.93 ERA over 156 2/3 innings since Opening Day 2023.

Sep 10, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In light of the Cardinals' rebuild, he makes sense in a trade to the Yankees, given the potential in the Yankees' farm system and among their younger players.

Romero, in the final year of his contract with the Cardinals, is reportedly also courting interest from the Seattle Mariners, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros, the Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, via MLB. According to Goold, the Cardinals themselves are interested in a veteran reliever, possibly a lefty, so they might just end up hanging onto him in the end.

As for the Cardinals' interest in a trade deal, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom hinted that he would like to complete a deal sooner rather than later, marking the upcoming holidays as a "de facto deadline" around the league for executives looking to finish their offseason business and enjoy some time off.

Yankees' Bullpen

The Yankees' bullpen could use some work, to say the least, and while they didn't name the bullpen as an offseason priority explicitly, the position group's weakness in 2025 would justify a move like this on its own. The Yankees finished the regular season with a combined 4.37 ERA (23rd in the MLB).

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Tim Hill (41) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

So far, the Yankees have brought Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough back, and parted ways with Devin Williams in free agency. Luke Weaver is expected to be out the door as well, in light of recent comments from Brian Cashman that, "we lost Devin and Weaver". Williams, who signed with the New York Mets, is expected to be their closer in 2026 after Edwin Diaz departed for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Bednar, a trade deadline acquisition from the Pittsburgh Pirates, is expected to be the Yankees' closer come spring, unless competition is brought in. Bednar finished 2025 with a 2.30 ERA in 64 games.

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