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The St. Louis Cardinals had a busy offseason shipping out veterans and clearing the way for younger players to make their mark in 2026. The future is now for the Cardinals, and that will be their focus for at least the next couple of seasons.
The rebuild began at the trade deadline last year, and now the Cardinals have cleared space on their roster. But they may not be done just yet. They could be sellers this year at the trade deadline and ship out any expiring contracts.
Left-hander JoJo Romero is in the final year of his contract, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that chances of more deals for the Cardinals aren’t dead just yet.
Could Romero be next?
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) works during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images“They entertained offers for Romero all winter and still could trade the lefty for the right return,” Goold wrote.
After a slow start to 2025, Romero ended up being one of St. Louis’ top relievers, going 4-6 with a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances and recording eight saves. If the Cardinals are rebuilding and end up trading him at the deadline, they could bring back some good prospects for him.
Teams have done well for veteran relievers on expiring contracts over the past few trade deadlines, and the Cardinals could be in a good position to cash in on Romero at that time. At the same time, a trade before the deadline also shouldn’t be ruled out.
There aren’t a lot of options still available in free agency, so teams could look to the Cardinals for help if they still want to fill bullpen roles before the start of the season. The Cardinals have made clear that they are focusing more on the future and less on contending in the present, so trading Romero at any point makes sense.
Selling high on him would be smart, however. The Cardinals should try to make sure they get the best possible return for him if he is ultimately traded between now and the trade deadline.
An injury could always pop up for a contending team and lead them to contacting the Cardinals about Romero. It will be interesting to see what his market looks like going forward, but he could be one of the first veterans shipped out at the trade deadline if the Cardinals ultimately find themselves out of postseason contention by then.
Romero is one of the top relievers in the league and could help push the Cardinals towards their future goals if he is traded away.
