The St. Louis Cardinals may not be gearing up for a winter headline grab, but they are clearly hunting in one specific lane: left-handed relief help.
That much came into focus on Wednesday, when MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Cardinals are part of a five-team group showing early interest in the lefty reliever market at the GM Meetings.
“There’s early interest in the left-handed relief market at the GM Meetings,” Morosi wrote on X. “Sources say the Mariners, Phillies, Nationals, Royals, and Cardinals are among the teams engaged.”
So the Cardinals are in the mix. The next question is which arm makes the most sense. Three names stand out.
One possibility is a familiar face: JoJo Romero. The idea has already been floating around this offseason, and it picked up more steam when Derrick Goold of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are interested in a reunion after trading Romero to the Brewers this past summer. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat later reported that the interest goes both ways.
Romero has already built a real track record in St. Louis.
He has appeared in 216 games for the Cardinals in his big league career and posted a 3.07 ERA in those outings. If the club wants a lefty it knows well, Romero fits that description as cleanly as anyone.
Another option is Steven Newcomb, a 33-year-old who could give St. Louis more than just a single inning at a time.
In 2026, he made 60 appearances for the White Sox and finished with a 3.09 ERA across 90 1/3 innings. The year before, Newcomb posted a 2.73 ERA in 48 appearances with the Boston Red Sox and Athletics, covering 92 1/3 innings.
If the Cardinals want length from the bullpen, he brings that kind of profile.
Then there’s A.J. Minter, another 33-year-old left-hander with plenty of late-inning experience.
He put up a 2.56 ERA in 48 appearances with the New York Mets and Twins in 2026, working 45 2/3 innings. Over his career, Minter owns a 3.15 ERA in 445 relief appearances with the Mets, Twins and Atlanta Braves.
For a Cardinals bullpen that could use another high-leverage arm, he checks that box.
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