The New York Mets may not be finished making moves this offseason - and if they’re looking to put a bow on things, JoJo Romero could be the kind of under-the-radar addition that makes a real difference come summer.
Romero, a left-handed reliever still with the St. Louis Cardinals, has been loosely connected to the Mets before, and the fit still makes plenty of sense.
With A.J. Minter expected to miss the start of the season, the Mets could use another dependable lefty in the bullpen.
Minter’s role is more high-leverage - he’s the guy you call on in the eighth with the heart of the order due up. Romero, on the other hand, profiles more as a sixth- or seventh-inning arm, someone who can come in, get a ground ball, and keep the game in check.
And that’s where Romero shines. He’s not just a lefty specialist - he can handle right-handed hitters, too - but his bread and butter is neutralizing lefties and inducing soft contact. That kind of reliability in the middle innings is something every contender needs, especially one like the Mets, who are trying to balance experience with flexibility in their relief corps.
The Cardinals, for their part, don’t look like a team gearing up for a serious run in 2026. They’ve already moved Brendan Donovan in a three-team deal that sent him to the Seattle Mariners - a move that reminded everyone that the offseason still has plenty of life left in it.
Donovan had been linked to the Mets earlier in the winter as a possible upgrade over Jeff McNeil, thanks to his defensive versatility and contact-heavy bat. But it’s Seattle that gets to plug him into their lineup.
Donovan wasn’t the only Cardinal on the Mets’ radar. Willson Contreras was a hot topic early in the winter, and at one point, there was even speculation that a Contreras deal could include Romero. That didn’t happen - Contreras ended up in Boston - but Romero stayed put, and the Cardinals haven’t shown much urgency to compete.
That’s what makes Romero such a logical trade candidate. He’s set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, and if the Cardinals continue to drift through the year without playoff aspirations, it’s hard to see them holding onto a valuable bullpen piece like him. Whether it’s now or closer to the deadline, interest in Romero is only going to grow.
The Mets, meanwhile, have been busy but haven’t exactly cleared out space. They’ve added Freddy Peralta to the rotation but haven’t subtracted anyone.
That leaves them with a bit of a logjam, especially if they’re considering a six-man rotation. That setup could help manage workloads, but it also limits the number of bullpen arms they can carry - and that’s where things get tricky.
Adding Romero would make the bullpen better, no question. But it might also mean having to move someone else, possibly via trade, to make room.
The Mets already have two lefties in the pen, and carrying three might not be in the cards once Minter is healthy. That said, Romero’s skillset is different enough to justify the move, especially if the team is serious about contending and wants to avoid the kind of left-handed depth issues that plagued them last season.
With free agents like Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen still unsigned and players like Eugenio Suárez only just finding homes, the offseason is still very much in motion. The Mets have made smart, measured moves so far - but if they want to round things out with a bullpen that can go toe-to-toe with the league’s best, Romero could be the next piece worth pursuing.