The Cardinals' Offseason Moves and Potential Trades: A Comprehensive Overview
The Cardinals' Offseason: A Busy Period with Major Trades
The Cardinals have been quite active in the offseason, making significant moves to reshape their roster. The team has traded away several key players, including Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado, to clear salary and acquire young talent. One of the crown jewels of their offseason was a three-team trade that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle in exchange for draft picks and prospects. But here's where it gets interesting: despite their recent activity, the Cardinals might not be done with their trades just yet.
The Case for Additional Trades: JoJo Romero's Role
One player who has garnered interest from multiple teams is southpaw JoJo Romero. Romero, who had a solid 2025 campaign with a 2.07 ERA in 61 innings, could be a valuable addition for teams looking to bolster their bullpen. Given the quick movement in the free agency market this offseason, Romero might be particularly attractive to teams like the Yankees or Twins, who were in the market for relief help but didn't land a high-leverage arm. The Cardinals could prefer to use Romero in the ninth inning throughout the first half of the season, allowing him to gain experience as a closer and potentially market him as such at the trade deadline. However, a bullpen-needy team might be willing to pay more for a full year of Romero now than over the summer, especially if his performance regresses.
Other Potential Trade Candidates: Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman
Other players who have been floated as potential trade chips this winter include Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman. Nootbaar, with just two years of team control remaining, would make sense for the Cardinals to trade, but any attempts at trade talks have been complicated by his recent surgery, which could land him on the injured list at the start of the 2026 campaign. Gorman, on the other hand, is coming off back-to-back down seasons, but in 2023 he showed impressive power with an 118 wRC+ and 27 homers in just 119 games. While Gorman would have more value if he has a big season in 2026, another lackluster campaign could leave him with little to no trade value.
The Cardinals' Situation: A Poll for MLBTR Readers
With a handful of theoretical trade candidates still on the roster, the Cardinals have several options to consider. 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? The MLBTR readers are invited to share their views in the poll below. How do you see the Cardinals' situation unfolding? Have your say and let's discuss the possibilities in the comments section!
