Eight Roman Catholic prelates who remained unaffected by the trade deadline but may be transferred during the upcoming offseason.
In the bustling landscape of Major League Baseball's trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals made some moves, trading key bullpen arms like Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz. However, one name that remained on the roster was JoJo Romero, a 28-year-old left-handed reliever who had a stellar season.
Romero's performance was nothing short of impressive. With a 2.12 ERA over 34 innings and 16 holds without blowing a lead, he became a valuable trade candidate [1][2]. His consistency and solid peripherals, boasting a 24% strikeout rate and a 52.9% ground-ball rate, made him a logical piece to trade for additional assets [1][3].
Teams like the Padres were reportedly interested, and the Seattle Mariners were reportedly looking for left-handed bullpen help. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who could have used another reliever for the postseason, were also potential suitors [1].
Despite the interest, John Mozeliak and the Cardinals' front office opted to hold onto Romero. This decision was surprising given the team's focus on players with expiring contracts, and trading Romero was suggested as a possibility [2].
Romero's value as a trade asset was high, given his strong season. Holding onto him may have limited the Cardinals’ ability to maximize returns at the deadline [4]. Trade talks involving Romero were "advanced" according to reports, indicating the Cardinals had the chance to move him but apparently chose not to or did not finalize a deal [2][3].
However, Romero's value for a potential offseason trade could increase if he enters the closer role for the Cardinals. His exceptional performance in July, where he didn't allow an earned run in 9.2 innings and struck out 15 batters, is a testament to his potential [5].
With a striking 8.92 batters per nine innings this season, Romero has demonstrated his ability to generate ground balls at a 52.7% clip this year [6].
In retrospect, the Cardinals' decision not to trade Romero seems like a missed chance for roster management and asset acquisition, especially considering their role as soft buyers in 2024, trading Tommy Edman for Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham [7].
[1] https://www.mlb.com/news/jojo-romero-cardinals-trade-rumors [2] https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals/cardinals-reportedly-not-trading-jojo-romero-despite-interest/article_13566a24-a604-5833-876a-4b22220834e0.html [3] https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/cardinals-reportedly-not-trading-jojo-romero-despite-interest-from-multiple-teams/ [4] https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/cardinals-hold-onto-jojo-romero-trade-deadline/ [5] https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals/cardinals-reliever-jojo-romero-extends-scoreless-innings-streak-to-9-2/article_0b5f8c10-a133-55b7-b8e3-8c0d58037116.html [6] https://www.mlb.com/statcast/leaders?sort=GroundBallRate,desc [7] https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals/cardinals-make-trade-deadline-deals-for-tommy-edman-erick-fedde-tommy-pham/article_4d09a25a-376f-5f1f-a23c-769c47582d0d.html
- In the Major League Baseball (MLB) trade discussions, JoJo Romero, a 28-year-old left-handed reliever for the St. Louis Cardinals, emerged as a notable trade candidate due to his impressive performance and solid peripherals.
- Despite teams like the Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers showing interest in JoJo Romero, the Cardinals' front office opted to keep him, potentially missing an opportunity for roster management and asset acquisition.
