The Minnesota Twins have a clear path to JoJo Romero, but the St. Louis Cardinals may be the team standing in the way.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday that the Cardinals want to talk about bringing Romero back, and Cardinals reporter Jeff Jones later added that Romero is interested in returning as well. That puts Minnesota in a fight for a reliever who already knows the role both clubs want him to fill.
St. Louis dealt Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers at the Aug. 3 deadline, but he had already done the job the Cardinals now need again.
Before the trade, he logged 20 holds in 44 appearances for St. Louis while pitching ahead of closer Riley O’Brien.
The Cardinals could put him right back into that same setup spot with a bullpen that has already seen him handle it.
The Cardinals still need help in front of O’Brien. They added left-hander Eduardo Rivera from the Boston Red Sox, and he has four Major League appearances. Romero would give them a proven lefty option for high-leverage innings while they continue sorting out the rest of the bullpen.
Minnesota has a similar opening. A.J.
Minter and Taylor Rogers are free agents, and Kody Funderburk is the Twins’ top returning left-hander. Romero finished the regular season with a 3.36 ERA in 55 appearances, then gave up one earned run in eight playoff innings for the World Series champions.
Derek Shelton could use him to cover a full inning against a mixed part of the order.
The money and the years will matter, too. MLB Trade Rumors projected Romero at two years and $13 million, or $6.5 million per season.
Minnesota’s bullpen posted a 4.74 ERA in 2026, and Jeff Hoffman had elbow surgery in October, though the Twins expect him to be ready for the start of the season. Romero would give Shelton another way to divide the late-inning work in 2027.
The second year would also give the Twins more flexibility for the future. Hoffman can become a free agent after 2027, so a two-year deal would keep an experienced reliever in place for 2028 if Hoffman leaves.
If St. Louis only goes to one guaranteed year, Minnesota could have the edge by offering two and defining Romero’s role in close games.
If both teams are willing to go two years, then the Twins would have to compete on salary. How far they can push that may depend on catching, with Ryan Jeffers considering a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer through Nov.
If the Cardinals push the bidding to a third guaranteed year, Minnesota should bow out. That would tie the Twins to Romero through 2029, when he’ll turn 33.
If that happens, a reunion with Minter would give Minnesota another route to fill the late-inning opening. He put up a 2.78 ERA in 22 2/3 innings after the Twins acquired him at the deadline.
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