The biggest weakness for the St. Louis Cardinals to fix this offseason is the bullpen, without a doubt.

St. Louis has already gotten a head start on trying to fix it by going out and acquiring 6'7'' lefty Eduardo Rivera from the Boston Red Sox. He only has four games of big league experience under his belt so far in his young career, but the 23-year-old logged a 2.59 ERA in 26 total appearances down in the minors in 2026, including 21 relief appearances. If Rivera can take a step forward in 2027, he could very well end up being a quiet addition to a bullpen that needs a boost. The Cardinals need more, though, and it sounds like the organization is at least open to the idea of a reunion with an old friend, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"Fresh of a World Series championship with Milwaukee, [JoJo Romero] reaches free agency for the first time in his career, and the Cardinals are at least interested in discussing a reunion," Goold reported on Monday. "According to sources familiar with the team’s view of this offseason, they would like to discuss Romero’s return just months after the team traded him to the Brewers."

The Cardinals Absolutely Should Reunite With JoJo Romero

This is the exact type of move that the Cardinals should make this winter. Right now, Spotrac has Romero's projected market value set at just over $26 million over four years. A four-year deal for a 30-year-old reliever arguably is too long. But an annual value just over $6 million is a perfectly fair value and is something the Brewers should offer over two or a maximum of three years.

Romero joined the Cardinals during the 2022 season and was with the organization through the 2026 season, before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. While pitching for the Cardinals, he logged a 3.07 ERA and a 207-to-80 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 214 innings pitched. Overall, he has a 3.51 career ERA in seven big league seasons. The lefty was great and dependable. He was traded away because he was months away from free agency and St. Louis cashed in by flipping him and Dustin May for No. 5 prospect Alexander Frias and No. 11 prospect Josiah Ragsdale.

Romero went on to log a 3.38 ERA in 11 appearances down the stretch for Milwaukee and then was elite throughout the Brewers' World Series run. The lefty pitched in seven playoff games for Milwaukee and logged a 1.13 ERA in eight innings of action.

If the Cardinals were to get a deal done with Romero, they would add another proven and dependable arm to a depleted bullpen and take a positive step towards fixing one of the organization's weaknesses. In the minors, the Cardinals have plenty of young guys to be excited about who can come and add to the rotation or improve the lineup. But there are few bullpen-specific prospects coming to help. The Cardinals absolutely need to use free agency — or the trade market — to plug this roster hole. Romero would be a step in the right direction.