The New York Yankees are off to a very solid start this season, but one need they may have lies in the bullpen. Should New York consider trading for an impact southpaw reliever to fix that issue? New York has one of the better rotations and will return Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon soon, but bullpen issues can overshadow a strong rotation at times.
This isn’t to say the Yankees have a bad bullpen, because they don’t, but they do lack a strong southpaw that can come in for high-leverage moments. Speculation is growing around the status of St. Louis Cardinals‘ reliever JoJo Romero. Is Romero a name that the Yankees could target sometime this summer?
More MLB on Heavy: Mets Trade Prediction Lands Astros’ Yordan Alvarez for Three MLB Players
Should the Yankees Trade for JoJo Romero?
GettyAcquiring JoJo Romero would help bolster the Yankees bullpen.
According to a recent rumor piece for Bleacher Report, MLB writer Kerry Miller believes that Cardinals‘ reliever JoJo Romer is one of ‘MLB’s top 10 most likely trade candidates’.
In this recent trade proposal by Heavy on Sports, the Yankees acquire JoJo Romero from the Cardinals in exchange for top prospect Spencer Jones, who is currently still in Triple-A. Jones could end up being a Triple-A legend when all said and done, but it’s clear his high swing and miss capabilities have kept him out of the majors.
Now, or later this summer, could be a great time to move off Spencer Jones for another relief option.
JoJo Romero, who has quietly been one of baseball’s best southpaw relievers over the past couple of years, is off to a solid start in 2026. In 12 innings pitched, he holds a 2.25 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP. Here is why Miller believes he could be a top trade candidate:
“Moreover, he was substantially better last year than he was the previous year, allowing just two home runs and blowing one save/hold while posting a 2.07 ERA. Romero isn’t a flamethrowing strikeout machine, but he gets the job done all the same. His sinker/sweeper/changeup arsenal is quite effective at inducing groundouts. There is a whole host of contenders who could use a high-leverage pitcher who has held opposing left-handed hitters to a .537 OPS in his career.”
More MLB on Heavy: MLB World Reacts to New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe Minor League Moment
Will Spencer Jones Get Traded?
Believe it or not, Spencer Jones is one of the Yankees’ best trade chips. He’s a young power-hitting outfielder with lots of time to develop into a quality MLB player.
However, with the Yankees’ stacked outfield and Jasson Dominguez also waiting in the wings for an outfield spot on the big-league club, Jones is an odd man out.
The Cardinals have played good baseball this season, but are still in the midst of a rebuild. Adding Spencer Jones would be a good move to help bring some fans back to Busch Stadium and continue to kickstart that rebuild.
More MLB on Heavy: Update: Phillies’ Zack Wheeler To Make Season Debut vs. Braves
Yankees-Cardinals Trade Pitch Lands JoJo Romero In New York for Top Prospect