The San Diego Padres need to bolster their offense, but they are also exploring deals to add to their league-best bullpen. One of the teams they are looking at is the St. Louis Cardinals, who have a reliever who’s of interest to San Diego.
But, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the reliever the Padres are interested in isn’t Ryan Helsley. The Padres have expressed interest in left-handed reliever JoJo Romero.
“The San Diego Padres, though in the market for a reliever, are not viewed as a fit for Helsley at this time.” Woo writes. “San Diego has expressed interest in JoJo Romero, who owns a 2.12 ERA this year and will not be a free agent until 2027.”
The Padres, despite their elite bullpen, are looking to bring in a reliever. And even though the team is looking to land a reliever, they aren’t interested in the top rental option from the Cardinals, instead eyeing Romero.
He’s one of the few left-handed relievers who could be moved. With how great he’s pitched this season, he’s likely to have a few teams interested in his services.
Through 4 0 appearances and 34 innings for the Cardinals, Romero has a 2.12 ERA, 34 strikeouts, 15 walks, and one home run allowed. His 198 ERA+ is a career best, and he also has amassed 1.1 WAR, more than half his career WAR in six big league seasons.
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The 28-year-old is under team control through the 2026 season. Romero would fetch a solid return for St. Louis, meaning the Padres’ cost to land him might not be cheap.
But, if they move Robert Suarez, like they’ve been rumored to be considering, then the return for him could bring in Romero, who is around for longer, and while not a closer, has a lower ERA this season than Suarez’s 3.50.
The Padres’ lack of interest in Helsley and interest in Romero is something worth following at the deadline. If the Padres are looking to bring in a reliever, they could be looking for a player who would be around for more than just 2025.
Romero would be an interesting player for the Padres to trade for. He isn’t a top name on the market, but his statistical profile is a great one.
With a day left before the trade deadline, the Padres are expressing interest in Romero, a Cardinals lefty reliever who’d be an under-the-radar trade target for the Padres to further strengthen a dominant bullpen.
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