The Seattle Mariners fell just short of a World Series appearance last season, as they fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the American League Championship Series. Throughout the series, Seattle manager Dan Wilson relied heavily on the trio of Matt Brash, Gabe Speier and Andres Munoz in relief. Brash and Munoz are under contract through 2026, but Speier is a free agent and is expected to have many suitors. Having already inked Josh Naylor to an extension, Seattle could look to strengthen their bullpen via trade in preparation for another deep playoff run in 2026.
The Seattle Times suggested JoJo Romero as a logical trade candidate for the club. With the Cardinals preparing to develop young talent again in 2026, Romero could certainly be had for the right price. As Munoz and Brash are right-handers, Romero could provide the Mariners with a left-handed arm to use in late game scenarios.
In his last four seasons with the Cardinals, Romero has been a reliable late inning reliver, serving both as a closer and as a set-up man. In 172 appearances with St. Louis, Romero posted a 3.00 ERA, 164 strikeouts and an 8.6 SO/9. In 2024, Romero was third in the National League with 30 holds. In 2025 he racked up 24 holds, in addition to eight saves.
With one year of club control remaining, Romero is expected to make around $4.4 million, much less than other top arms on the free agent market. If Seattle is willing to part with some of their prospects, Romero makes perfect sense to acquire.
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