The Cardinals have been one of the winter’s busiest teams. Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado were all shipped elsewhere to clear salary and add some young talent. The crown jewel on the team’s offseason was the three-team trade that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle in exchange for two Competitive Balance draft picks and a package of prospects headlined by top pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje.
It wouldn’t be a shock if all that activity was the end of their involvement in the trade market. At this point, the majority of their roster is controlled for multiple seasons, and the team has generally cleared the deck to give its up-and-coming youngsters more playing time.
Even so, additional trades can’t be ruled out. There is still one more rental player on the team’s roster who has garnered interest from teams: southpaw JoJo Romero. Romero has been connected to several teams this winter, including the Mariners, Orioles, and Yankees. Given how quickly the bullpen market moved in free agency this offseason, Romero could have particular value to a team like the Yankees or Twins that was known to be in the market for relief help but didn’t end up landing a coveted high leverage arm. The lefty is coming off a nice 2025 campaign where he posted a 2.07 ERA in 61 innings. He’d surely net some prospect value if dealt.
The Cardinals could prefer to put Romero in the ninth inning throughout the first half, let him accumulate experience in the closer role, and market him as such at the trade deadline, when virtually every contender will be on the prowl for bullpen help. There’s certainly some merit to that option, but it’s possible a bullpen-needy team would pay more for a full year of Romero now than over the summer. That figures to be especially true if his run prevention regresses towards his solid but unspectacular peripherals from 2025. Romero pitched to a 4.10 SIERA with a hefty 11.4% walk rate against a 21.6% strikeout rate last year.
Romero is the most likely player left on the Cardinals roster to move before Opening Day, but there are other options. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman were among the players who had their names floated as possible trade chips this winter. Nootbaar, in particular, would make sense given that he has just two years of team control remaining, but any attempts at trade talks have surely been complicated by him undergoing surgery that could land him on the injured list when the 2026 campaign begins.
Gorman, 25, is coming off back-to-back down seasons that saw him strike out more than 35% of the time, but in 2023 he flashed an impressive 118 wRC+ with 27 homers in just 119 games. That kind of power is enticing, and with a dearth of infield talent currently available, teams still looking for help on the dirt might be willing to offer a decent return despite the warts. While Gorman would surely have a lot more value if he turns in a big season in 2026, another lackluster campaign would likely leave him with little to no trade value. His departure would also create a path for the Cardinals to get both Thomas Saggese and top prospect JJ Wetherholt regular at-bats. Wetherholt figures to have an everyday job once he’s ready to debut regardless of Gorman’s presence, but Saggese might be relegated to a platoon or bench role without a trade.
How do MLBTR readers view the Cardinals’ situation? With a handful of theoretical trade candidates still on the roster, will they get another deal done before the regular season begins? Or will the players currently on the roster stick around until trade talks pick back up closer to the trade deadline? Have your say in the poll below:
It’s Romero or they’re finished. Team has been stripped down. Nootbaar will get a chance to bounce back before being shipped out
Hey I totally agree with that
The Dodgers just DFA’d Anthony Banda. He’s good if healthy and that may decrease at least one team looking for a lefty like Romero.
PS-Cardinals didn’t get much for Donovan.
The cardinals got 2 first round picks and 3 minor league players. Thats a pretty good deal. Could be as good the Adam Lind trade from MIL to SEA when alls said and done
I had to look up this Adam Lind deal…ooooof on Seattle’s end.
Good return.
You had me until P.S.
I agree with LaFleur that it was a good deal. I’ll need to refresh myself on Adam Lind’s trade.
You had me until PS. I agree with LaFleur that the package was a good return.
Are you kidding? They got a boat load for a slap hitting super utility man.
Cards got 5 players for 1 above average super utility..
One top 100 prospect, two lottery ticket prospects and most importantly two draft picks.
For a rebuilding team, thats super solid return for a player of Donovan’s caliber.
Uninformed take.
They should/hope trade Romero.
Alec and Lars are gon-ars…stock up stock up on prospects and playoffs in 2028 will be reality without a doubt….pitching in the minors is mind blowing
Just as long as it’s not elbow-blowing.
Let’s accept ChatGPT’s analysis:
Overall Farm System Strength
Pittsburgh Pirates have been ranked as the best farm system in baseball overall heading into 2026. That includes position players and pitchers.
St. Louis Cardinals rank very highly (2nd) in Baseball America’s farm system rankings and are noted for having impact pitching prospects among their top talent.
Nothing about elbow injuries, we’re good
Burley’s not going anywhere this year, and the Cards would need a heck of an offer to sell low on a hobbled Noot.
Romero is the only guy that makes sense to move. Let the youngsters play and hopefully we can turn this thing around soooooon.
Let’s go, Cards!
I agree that Lars will be traded if he demonstrates that he has recovered from his recent surgery. That could be in Spring Training or sometime during the regular season. As for Alec, I think the front office wants to hold onto him for the 2026 unless it becomes apparent by the trade deadline that the team is headed for a 100 loss season and Blaze Jordan is knocking the cover off of the ball for Memphis.
Burleson isn’t going anywhere. Second best hitter on the team.
Gorman to 1B, Prieto gets a longer look at 3B, and Burleson goes to CIN or ARZ for 3 prospects < 24 yr old
Who is better? Herrerra? Take off your rose colored glasses.
At Petey
What are you talking about?
I think he just wants to argue.
Idk of a more prominent franchise in all of sports that are as lost as the cardinals are rn. The politics of baseball has blown by them and they put all of their eggs in the wrong basket. They are getting lotto tickets or less for these players they are trading, seemed to be throwing darts at the draft, have a poor international presence, and even though they can pay up to the salary cap in payroll every year- there’s 10 teams that will always have the power to outbid them. I thought Bichette would be a sneaky long term sign for them yet they never had a chance with the type of money he got. Cardinals are 3/4 years away from competing in the softest division in baseball
At Big whiffa…First off, I thought i smelled something, no more burritos for you. The Card will make the playoffs 2028 for at least five years straight, that’s not so much lost as gearing up in the proper manner for the future…
You really don’t know much about the cardinals lol…I could tell when you said they can pay up to the salary cap…they never pay up to the salary cap…admittedly they took a dive but come on…they last made the playoffs in 2022…and they aren’t that lost…they have Bloom now in charge who has already made their farm system a top 5 at least and they have 5 first round picks in the upcoming draft… the next few seasons might not be great but when you have been as successful as the cardinals have been sometimes the pendulum is going to swing the other way
Your name is apt in regards to your take.
Big whiffa
They are getting lotto tickets or less for these players they are trading
========================
Gray, Contreras, and Arenado were all salary dumps. You weren’t getting anything more than lottery tickets. The Donovan return was solid.
Brandon Clarke is not a lotto ticket. They got him for Sonny. Dick Fitts is a backend starter too.
I’m hoping Bloom will trade for Masataka Yoshida. He wants to prove the scouting report from the ferris wheel is true
No!!!
I think they’re done and will keep Romero to add some continuity, stability, and consistency in the bullpen, though I wish they could’ve packaged him with Donovan. The Ferrer-for-Ford trade kind of prevented that from happening.
I’m down to trade Noot if he shows the heels are healthy, but that probably couldn’t really be anytime before midseason. Last report was he’d start the year on the IL.
Noot would have been gone if not for injury. Trade Burleson before he turns back into a pumpkin. Hope that Romero has a big 1st half and get rid of him at the deadline.
Nothing in Burleson’s profile suggests he is going to revert. His metrics have gotten better every year.
I would trade Jojo before he gets hurt. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a prospect grab. The need for a RH hitting outfielder has been stated. I believe that player needs to be able to play CF. There’s not much available on the free agent market unless you are willing to let an aging former CF get time there. I think it would be worth it to move Romero for a legit CF capable RH hitter. Obviously, Jojo Romero isn’t going to land you a starting caliber player, but a Drew Waters type would be valuable. I understand it a rebuild. But slick fielding centerfielders are a young pitcher’s best friend. We NEED to support our young arms with quality defense up the middle.
They have a top 3 defensive CFer already in Scott. They also have Church who is a minor league Gold Glover as a Center fielder and you want Drew Waters who is a below average defender instead? That makes no sense.
Church and Scott both hit lefthanded. Their weak offensive results suggest they need a platoon option. It doesn’t need to be Waters. Any RH hitter who can capably handle CF would work.
They could combine JoJo and a comp pick to get another top prospect or rt handed outfield bat
I hope they trade romero. I don’t think his value will ever be higher. I could see them trading a catcher, we have a ton, probably pages. Once noots healthy they should trade him. I’d listen on burly also. I know this is blasphemous, but if somebody offered 3or 4 top prospects, id trade Winn as well. If gorman or walker bounce back, id say so long to them too.
Wow, too much.
Most definitely! He’s building a really nice minor league roster
Fun times for cardinals. Don’t count them out. Greetings from Chitown.
Why stop now?Get what you can for JoJo. This team will not need a closer. Plenty of young arms to build a decent & cheap bullpen. Jojo is a solid lefty with nasty stuff.
Piling saves on pre-arb relievers eventually gets expensive on long-term assets. Treat JoJo as a rent-a-closer until the deadline and flip him.
If they trade Romero, get an established player….like Ben Rice.
It would take way more than jojo for rice. Jojo only has this season left. Rice absolutely raked for the Yankees and has many seasons until free agency.
Weatherholt will be a huge hit offensively. I do not think he has the arm to be a MLB shortstop. I think he is destined for 2nd base.
Agree. Winn and Weatherholt manning the middle infield look good now and for years to come. I’d try Walker at third, Burleson at first. Cardinals really need a superstar outfielder that can mash 40 long balls a year. Who on the roster will hit over 20 hr’s this season? Probably none.
With 600 PAs I think both Herrera and Burleson get past 20. It wouldn’t shock me if Gorman does as well. If Wetherholt hits the ground running he could as well.
Astros voukd really use Nootbar but he probably needs to prove health in ST.
If healthy by mid-March a few teams would likely be interested.
Gorman to the Angels makes sense for both teams.Noot will build value this season and be an interesting trade candidate next off season or at the trade deadline this year.
Why would the Angels want Gorman?
To play second base.
Why would any team but the Cardinals want Gorman?
Why would another team want a guy that has Struck-out at a lifetime average of 38% a season. Has a low percentage walk rate… has
a career Home run rate of less than 5% per trips to the plate. Plus has a career batting average below the Mendoza line????
The bad thing about it is ……. On paper, as a major leaguer, ….. He’s currently better that any Prospect the Cardinals got in trade, picked up off waivers, or signed through free agency!!!