Padres Interested In JoJo Romero

[Kljwhite]

Padres Interested In JoJo Romero
July 30th, 2025 at 1:55am CST • By Anthony Franco
The Cardinals’ bullpen should look quite a bit different in 36 hours than it does now. Closer Ryan Helsley is one of the most coveted available relievers and is very likely to move. Phil Maton and Steven Matz are impending free agents who should be traded as well. There hasn’t been as much public attention on southpaw JoJo Romero, but he’s another trade candidate.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that the Padres are among the teams to show interest in Romero. St. Louis has presumably received interest from a few clubs on the 28-year-old lefty, who carries a 2.12 ERA across 34 innings. Romero has fanned 24% of batters faced with a 52.9% ground-ball rate. He has collected 16 holds without blowing a lead all year, and he’s coming up on three months of quiet excellence.

[kyace]

Jo Jo should get a return similar to Helsley. He has been one of the best set up relievers in baseball over the last year and a half, cheap and has another year of control. Being left handed also adds to his value. A package of Helsley and Romero together should easily get a top five organization prospect that should also be a top 100.

[tyoung12290]

I still think we need to move a position player but I guess that can happen in off season.

Helslely plus one of Nootbaar/burly/gorman
Same for each reliever. Should get several top 5 prospects but zero chance MO has the balls.

[MrPostman01]

Get back! Get back!
Get back you Padres.

[CCard]

Hmmm.....Probably your best left handed reliever who is only 28 years old for some other teams lottery tickets from the minors. Pass. Good lefty relievers are worth their weight in gold. If you want to win in the next couple of years you hold on to players like this. The name of the game is pitching. Don't sell for other teams riff raff that aren't ready to compete in the MLB.

[todd-parker]

Straight-up trade for Tatis, Jr.

Nothing less.

No doubt he would want to play for the team where his dad his 2 grand slams in one inning in 1999.

[TraveledLessRoad]

They need a leftfielder, too. I have no idea what they have to offer, but Noot or Burly + Romero ought to return a heck of a lot more than a lottery ticket

[kyace]

Hmmm.....Probably your best left handed reliever who is only 28 years old for some other teams lottery tickets from the minors. Pass. Good lefty relievers are worth their weight in gold. If you want to win in the next couple of years you hold on to players like this. The name of the game is pitching. Don't sell for other teams riff raff that aren't ready to compete in the MLB.

The problem is that the Cards aren’t ready to be a contender next year. Also relievers are historically volatile so in those circumstances trading him now would most likely be the smart move for the right return.

[Goldfan]

Not getting anything for JOJO, and then what do you replace with ?

[rockondlouie]

Pass

JoJo has been solid since he was acquired and has a year of control left.

He's NOT bringing back the value he has here where he could also be extended w/a good 2026.

The Padres 12-15 best prospect will be yet another "meh" like Mo's 2023 returns have been.

No sense draining the entire pen' when quality relievers like JoJo will be needed next season and beyond.

Trade them Matz instead.

[CCard]

Hmmm.....Probably your best left handed reliever who is only 28 years old for some other teams lottery tickets from the minors. Pass. Good lefty relievers are worth their weight in gold. If you want to win in the next couple of years you hold on to players like this. The name of the game is pitching. Don't sell for other teams riff raff that aren't ready to compete in the MLB.

The problem is that the Cards aren’t ready to be a contender next year. Also relievers are historically volatile so in those circumstances trading him now would most likely be the smart move for the right return.

He's just the kind of reliever you don't trade. 28 years old and very good. Unless you plan on losing for multiple years, he's a player you need to win. No one knows if the Cards will contend next year. Hell, the Brewers were struggling for much of the season until they ran off that incredible win streak. I've never liked the idea of planning to fail and teams that do "rebuilds or resets" or whatever they want to call it are essentially planning to lose. It's an insult to fans that hope for their team to win.

[JohnnyMO]

Hmmm.....Probably your best left handed reliever who is only 28 years old for some other teams lottery tickets from the minors. Pass. Good lefty relievers are worth their weight in gold. If you want to win in the next couple of years you hold on to players like this. The name of the game is pitching. Don't sell for other teams riff raff that aren't ready to compete in the MLB.

The problem is that the Cards aren’t ready to be a contender next year. Also relievers are historically volatile so in those circumstances trading him now would most likely be the smart move for the right return.

He's just the kind of reliever you don't trade. 28 years old and very good. Unless you plan on losing for multiple years, he's a player you need to win. No one knows if the Cards will contend next year. Hell, the Brewers were struggling for much of the season until they ran off that incredible win streak. I've never liked the idea of planning to fail and teams that do "rebuilds or resets" or whatever they want to call it are essentially planning to lose. It's an insult to fans that hope for their team to win.

You know the Cards could sign any of these relievers in free agency and have them back on the roster for 2026, right?

Unless you think there is a possibility of making a playoff run in 2025 it’s foolish to hold on to any player with an expiring contract.

EDIT - my bad, just saw Romero isn’t a free agent until 2027. Id still trade him for the right return but I see your point now


.

[Futuregm2]

Pass

JoJo has been solid since he was acquired and has a year of control left.

He's NOT bringing back the value he has here where he could also be extended w/a good 2026.

The Padres 12-15 best prospect will be yet another "meh" like Mo's 2023 returns have been.

No sense draining the entire pen' when quality relievers like JoJo will be needed next season and beyond.

Trade them Matz instead.

I don’t know about that. The RP deals that have already been made (Seranthony Dominguez and Tyler Rogers) seem to show that there is a pretty good trade market for RPs right now. Giants got a guy that was a top 50 prospect in baseball a year ago (albeit he had a down year in 2024, but is having a solid bounce back year this year) and then some (including a MLB ready SP that was a 2nd round pick) for 34 year old FA to be Tyler Rogers.

[JDW]

Hmmm.....Probably your best left handed reliever who is only 28 years old for some other teams lottery tickets from the minors. Pass. Good lefty relievers are worth their weight in gold. If you want to win in the next couple of years you hold on to players like this. The name of the game is pitching. Don't sell for other teams riff raff that aren't ready to compete in the MLB.

The problem is that the Cards aren’t ready to be a contender next year. Also relievers are historically volatile so in those circumstances trading him now would most likely be the smart move for the right return.

He's just the kind of reliever you don't trade. 28 years old and very good. Unless you plan on losing for multiple years, he's a player you need to win. No one knows if the Cards will contend next year. Hell, the Brewers were struggling for much of the season until they ran off that incredible win streak. I've never liked the idea of planning to fail and teams that do "rebuilds or resets" or whatever they want to call it are essentially planning to lose. It's an insult to fans that hope for their team to win.

JoJo is also controlled for 2026, so he couldn't be signed this offseason by the Cards IF they do trade him.
You know the Cards could sign any of these relievers in free agency and have them back on the roster for 2026, right?

Unless you think there is a possibility of making a playoff run in 2025 it’s foolish to hold on to any player with an expiring contract.

EDIT - my bad, just saw Romero isn’t a free agent until 2027. Id still trade him for the right return but I see your point now


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[Barksdale's People]

In another thread here people are lamenting that the time to sell Helsley for the best return was the last deadline or the offseason. Romero will be no different a year from now when the choice becomes pay a reliever for age 30 and beyond or trade him for less than you could have gotten earlier.

I would’ve thought three years worth of examples would be enough but I guess there are some fans who still believe Mo and company when he says that they believe we’re close.

We’re not. The only thing that makes the Cardinals anything more than a fun story with a low postseason ceiling in ‘26 is serious investment. We know that won’t happen, so instead of hoping for 4-5 simultaneous breakouts next year let’s get ahead of the game for once.

[rockondlouie]

Pass

JoJo has been solid since he was acquired and has a year of control left.

He's NOT bringing back the value he has here where he could also be extended w/a good 2026.

The Padres 12-15 best prospect will be yet another "meh" like Mo's 2023 returns have been.

No sense draining the entire pen' when quality relievers like JoJo will be needed next season and beyond.

Trade them Matz instead.

I don’t know about that. The RP deals that have already been made (Seranthony Dominguez and Tyler Rogers) seem to show that there is a pretty good trade market for RPs right now. Giants got a guy that was a top 50 prospect in baseball a year ago (albeit he had a down year in 2024, but is having a solid bounce back year this year) and then some (including a MLB ready SP that was a 2nd round pick) for 34 year old FA to be Tyler Rogers.

Well seeing what we got for Helsley (which admittedly I know nothing about and am just going by national media) I'm pretty sure the return for JoJo would be a lot less even w/the year of control.

Honestly I don't expect a n everyday player/starter from the Helsley trade, it's the Matz trade pulled off (obviously) by C. Bloom that has my attention.

Pass

Only dealing JoJo if the return is too good to pass up, not for some more JAGS.