Last season in 2025, JoJo Romero pitched 61 IP in 65 games, posting a 2.07 ERA and a 3.28 FIP. Those are strong marks for a full-season reliever. The part of JoJo’s game that leaves a question mark is the swing and miss. Only a 21.6 K% and an 11.4 BB% will give acquiring teams a little bit of pause when assessing what level of ask is reasonable in return.
On Thursday, Romero and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year, $ 4.26 million contract for the 2026 season. This allowed the Cardinals to avoid an arbitration
hearing in his final season of team control. This is somewhat noteworthy considering Romero was coming off a season in which FanGraphs credited Romero with 7.1 million in Value for his performance. That gives about 2.5 to 3 million in surplus value. That’s not much, but it should be enough to net the Cardinals a 40 FV pitching prospect from a lefty reliever-needy squad.
We’ve seen a handful of decent lefty relievers traded this offseason, Matt Strahm, Angel Zerpa, and Jose A. Ferrer, just to name a few. JoJo Romero doesn’t have quite the level of performance of Strahm, nor does he have the years of control that Zerpa or Ferrer possess. But, given what’s remaining on the free agent market after a crop of intriguing lefties have come off the board, 38-year-old Justin Wilson (whose considering retirement) remains at the top with lefty specialist Ryan Borucki. You can reasonably assert that JoJo Romero would remain as the top option from the left side available, and there are 6 teams I identified as possible fits for JoJo.
I’m going to use FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) as my north star towards a potential landing spot. In 2025, JoJo Romero posted a 3.28 FIP, as I mentioned earlier. I will also point out a couple of prospects who fall in the 35+ to 40+ FV range that the Cardinals could be intrigued by as a return.
6. Athletics – 2025 LHRP FIP: 3.71
After losing Sean Newcomb to free agency, the only other remaining LHRP option is Hogan Harris. For an Athletics team that is on the rise, you don’t need glasses to see the next great A’s team coming. Playing in a very competitive AL West, the A’s could use a little more firepower at the back end of their games, and JoJo would be a nice fit for them. Adding Romero to the trio of Harris, Sterner, and Mark Leiter Jr, whom they signed earlier this offseason, would surely help them secure a few more games in 2026.
Prospects to target:
Eduarniel Nunez (#34) FB – 60 CB – 70 Com – 20 FV – 35+
A true modern-day RP prospect. Nunez possesses high-octane type stuff and also has very little control over where those pitches are going. Still, at the lower levels, the stuff was good enough to simply blow people away. Nunez would give the Cardinals’ pitching dev team another fun arm with big stuff to work with.
Jared Johnson (#26) FB – 55 SL – 60 Com – 40 FV – 40
Johnson has a little less in the way of horsepower than Nunez does, but the floor to become an MLB contributor is higher, thanks to his better ability to command the ball. You could add Johnson to a growing pitching group in the upper minors that could contribute to the big league club in the near future.
5. Baltimore Orioles – 2025 LHRP FIP: 4.17
This would be a fun landing spot. Considering the Orioles have already secured both Helsley and Kittredge this offseason, adding Romero, you would recreate the back-end trio that was so good for the 2024 Cardinals. Baltimore has plenty of high leverage options from the right side, but their returning lefty group includes Keegan Akin and Dietrich Enns, and while those two are interesting pieces, in an absolute blood bath of an AL East, you will want as much certainty as possible.
Prospects to target:
Cameron Foster (#38) FB – 55 SL – 60 CB – 50 CUT – 55 Com – 40 FV – 40
Foster dominated Double-A last season with a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 IP before being moved up to Triple-A and being moved to Baltimore from New York at the trade deadline. Foster’s Triple-A performance was really solid in 13 IP down the stretch with the Norfolk Tide, and he was added to the 40-man this offseason to protect from the Rule 5 draft. A solid 4 pitch mix with some middle relief upside would make for a solid target in return for Romero.
Anthony Nunez (#26) FB – 45 SL – 70 CH – 50 CUT – 55 Com – 60 FV 40+
Nunez Slider is the obvious outlier, and his ability to command his pitch mix gives him a really nice floor and high probability to make an MLB debut at some point in 2026. Nunez flew through 3 levels of the Mets system before being dealt to Baltimore at the deadline, where he encountered his first bit of challenge at Triple-A, as most pitchers do, and was also added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
4. Miami Marlins – 2025 LHRP FIP: 4.47
Miami has signaled a willingness to increase payroll as the threat of a CBA looms, and they’ve added St. Louisan Pete Fairbanks to the back end of their bullpen this offseason. After a 2nd half surge that saw them nearly finish the season at .500, Miami feels it’s getting closer to being competitive once more with a strong 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation, and more young pitching getting close now would feel like a good time to strike and strengthen their pen a little bit further. Cade Gibson was solid for Miami from the left side last season, but they could use a clear upgrade over Josh Simpson, who posted a 7.34 ERA and 5.35 FIP in 30.2 IP. Adding Romero to Fairbanks and Bender at the back end of games would give Miami a nice formula to win games in 2026.
Prospects to target:
Nate Payne (#25) FB – 45 SL – 60 CB – 60 Com – 45 FV – 40
An 18th Rd pick in 2024, Payne had a solid debut season, making 17 starts across the 2 lowest levels of the minors last season. In 56.2 IP, he posted a 3.20 ERA and a 3.27 FIP. Payne displays an above-average ability to spin the baseball and wind up as a swingman type in the big leagues, assuming he can maintain command of his breaking stuff, and for an 18th Rd pick thats a win.
Josh Ekness (#18) FB – 70 SL – 55 Com – 40 FV – 40+
After spending the majority of the season in Double-A, Ekness got a short cup of coffee in Triple-A last season. In 43 games at Double-A, Ekness pitched to a 2.73 ERA and 2.50 FIP with a 28.1 K% and a 9.8 BB%. That performance, along with a 70-grade fastball, will catch attention. While Ekness will likely spend the entirety of 2026 in Triple-A, he has future high-leverage reliever written all over him, and the Cardinals would do well to get him as a return for Romero.
3. Minnesota Twins – 2025 LHRP FIP: 4.51
The Twins front office group wants to compete in 2026, and they have a very young and intriguing team to do so with. The Rotation featuring Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Bailey Ober, and Mick Abel/Matt Festa gives them a chance to win every night. Their offense centered around Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis, and the eventual arrival of top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez. They could sneak their way into the wild card picture if health stays in their favor. Danny Coulombe was nails for Minnesota in 2025, but he is a free agent and likely searching for a more established contender to pitch for. Kody Funderburk is the only other lefty in the pen remaining, and while he was solid in 2025, if the Twins want to raise their floor, they could use a little more certainty at the back end of their pen. That’s where JoJo would come in.
Prospects to target:
Pierson Ohl (#27) FB – 35 SL – 45 CH – 60 Com – 70 FV – 40
Ohl has already made his MLB debut and has options remaining. This would give the Cardinals an instant Memphis shuttle option with a lot of control remaining. The Twins Righty likely will never factor into the late-inning or leverage picture in a big league bullpen, but if the Cardinals want a safe-floor reliever they could install immediately, Ohl wouldn’t be a bad choice.
Travis Adams (#26) FB – 50 SL – 55 CH – 45 CUT – 50 Com – 50 FV – 40
Another pitcher who made his debut in 2026, Travis Adams, is a classic pitch mix righty with the possibility of pitching in multiple roles. In 18 games in September, the Twins used Adams a lot, and his results weren’t the best at the end of a long season. However, in 68.2 IP in AAA this season, Adams posted a 3.93 ERA and 3.71 FIP along with a 22 K% and a 7.9 BB%. Again, an MLB-ready optionable reliever is probably something the Cardinals would like to receive in return as they accumulate as much pitching depth as possible.
2. New York Yankees – 2025 LHRP FIP: 4.57
In 2025, the Yankees relied on a trio of lefties in Tim Hill, Brent Headrick, and Ryan Yarborough out of the pen. While Tim Hill is solid and reliable, as is Ryan Yarborough, though he might likely start the season in the rotation as they wait for Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt to return from injuries mid season. The Yankees have David Bednar and Camilo Doval at the back of their bullpen, but could probably benefit from a more established lefty with high-leverage experience in a tough AL East, where every marginal advantage will be required to win the division.
Prospects to target:
Carson Coleman (#23) FB – 70 SL – 40 Com – 35 FV – 40
Coleman pitched 17 innings across 3 minor league levels acrruing a 1.59 ERA and a 2.17 FIP. He was a Rule 5 selection in 2024 of the Texas Rangers, but was later returned to New York and missed the last 2 seasons due to injury. He was finally healthy enough down the stretch of 2025 to make up for some lost time in those 17 IP at the end of 2025. Coleman will likely be heading into 2026 looking to have strong performances in the upper minors to push him towards a potential debut in the near future as the clock continues to tick on the 27-year-old righty.
Michael Arias (#19) FB – 60 SL – 55 CH – 60 Com – 30 FV – 40
The toolbox is full of effective weapons for Arias, but the command of it all continues to frustrate the organization’s he’s worked with. A heavy Sinker with good velo and a true difference maker of a changeup allows Arias to have success against both handednesses of hitters, when he has command, of course. The upside of a leverage reliever exists in the range of outcomes for Arias, and perhaps the Cardinals’ pitching dev team can help him get to a place with his command that he takes that next step forward to propel him to a big league role.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks – 2025 LHRP FIP: 4.58
After the D-backs were unable to consummate a Ketel Marte trade this offseason, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted in his story that Arizona is turning its attention to a RHH first baseman and relief help. The rumored return of franchise face Paul Goldschmidt is something that would seem to make a lot of sense for what the Snakes are looking for. JoJo Romero would be another name that would fit into their reported remaining offseason wish list. With AJ Puk recovering from Tommy John surgery, Jalen Beeks a free agent, and Kyle Bachus being traded to the Phillies earlier this offseason. The lone remaining lefty reliever is Andrew Saalfrank, and in an NL West division that features lefty sluggers like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Rafael Devers, and Jackson Merrill, among others. It would seem like a solid investment to add some additional firepower to the back end of a promising roster that’s hopeful to compete in 2026.
Prospects to target:
Hayden Durke (#31) FB – 60 SL – 60 CRV – 55 Com- 40 FV – 40
Durke is a close to MLB-ready reliever with some really nice offerings to boot! Another guy in this article who rose multiple levels in 2025 and wound up hitting a little bit of a roadblock at AAA. Durke pitched 49 innings last season across 3 levels, posting a 4.22 ERA and 3.45 FIP with 34.9 K% and 16.5 BB%. The strikeout stuff is there, but the walk rate ballooned at AAA, which isn’t uncommon for guys whose first taste of the big league ball can lend itself to some struggles with command. Overall, a really nice relief prospect with high leverage upside.
Brian Curley (#23) FB – 60 SL – 55 CRV – 55 Com – 45 FV – 40
Curley was taken in the 3rd round of the draft in 2025, number 92 overall, out of the University of Georgia, and Curley could start or relieve in pro ball. As a relief prospect out of the SEC, he could probably rise quickly and be an impact reliever in the near future. His path as a starter would likely take an additional year or two, but starters always carry more value than relievers, so the Cardinals could opt to be patient and see if he can add to their promising crop of high-end starting prospects.
I believe there would be enough motivation for these 6 teams to engage the Cardinals about JoJo Romero, and I also believe there is a reasonable price point out there that both sides could agree to that benefits both sides. The Cardinals ultimately could carry the Lefty reliever into the season and see if he can have a monster first half and flip him at the trade deadline if opposing teams don’t see the value in Romero. JoJo appears to be the best-known lefty reliever remaining, and time is ticking for front offices to have their squads ready for spring training that is now just right around the corner. The Cardinals are in a good position from a leverage standpoint and can hold a firm ask without being unreasonable.
-Thanks for reading
