With the Yankees still in need of bullpen support, they could greatly benefit from a low-cost option on the trade market that can give them reliable late-inning outings.
After their trade of Brendan Donovan, rental reliever JoJo Romero could be an excellent fit for the Yankees as he’s a left-handed sinkerballer who has a deceptive mix that can get groundballs and miss some bats.
He posted a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances out of the bullpen for the Cardinals last season, serving as a late-inning bullpen option who also picked up some save opportunities as well.
With only one year of control, the asking price from Chaim Bloom likely wouldn’t be very high, and he could provide a much-needed boost to a bullpen that needs.
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Why JoJo Romero Is a Safe Option For the Yankees to Target
In an offseason full of additions that you can debate the merit of, the Yankees could really put a nice finish to this winter by adding a stable late-inning weapon for their bullpen.
Over the last three seasons JoJo Romero has quietly been one of the more productive relievers in the game, sporting strong GB% numbers and having an above-average pitch mix.
Since 2023, Romero has a 2.93 ERA, 3.40 FIP, and a 3.68 xFIP as he’s been a firmly above-average bullpen arm who can get lefties and righties out due to his sinker-slider-changeup mix.
It wouldn’t be the flashy addition that gives you a super bullpen, but it adds a legit weapon that Aaron Boone can use in the eighth inning of a close game to get the ball to David Bednar.
My issue with this bullpen isn’t their ceiling; there’s a lot of talent on this staff if things go right, but that if is a highly-suspect one due to the natural variance that comes with projecting reliever outcomes and the injury risk as well.
As for what it could take to land JoJo Romero, his status as a rental reliever who wouldn’t be mistaken for an elite bullpen arm makes him pretty attainable even for a Yankees’ farm system that lacks depth.
I’m not sure exactly what the Cardinals would be asking for, but if the price is right then Brian Cashman should be all over this acquisition.
It would cost less than $5 million towards the Luxury Tax, and if Hal Steinbrenner had $4 million to throw at Paul Goldschmidt, he should be willing to throw this kind of cash to land a nice bullpen upgrade.