The St. Louis Cardinals operated as expected at the 2025 trade deadline, unloading their cache of rental relievers for prospects while keeping the big fish in tow in order to let Chaim Bloom sort things out once he took over for John Mozeliak.
However, the most shocking decision they made was a trade they ultimately didn't make. Southpaw reliever JoJo Romero, in the midst of a career-defining campaign, wasn't traded by July 31, leaving him as the de facto closer after the bullpen purge.
Now just one year out from free agency -- which will coincide with the dreaded CBA lockout -- Romero remains an obvious trade candidate for a rebuilding club, but have the Cardinals missed their chance to capitalize on his value?