Blue Jays trade proposal sends beloved outfielder to Cardinals for 2.07 ERA lefty reliever

The Toronto Blue Jays have been improving the team in a major way this offseason. They've signed Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Taylor Rogers, and Kazuma Okamoto, and have kept the team mostly intact for another World Series run.

But the Blue Jays might still be searching for upgrades, especially in the bullpen. After the collapse in the World Series, more reliever as a must. If there was one player to go after, it would be a left-handed reliever.

With such a need, ESPN's David Schoenfield proposed a trade for the Blue Jays. It would be a bittersweet one, sending away beloved outfielder Davis Schneider to the St. Louis Cardinals for a 2.07 ERA lefty reliever, JoJo Romero.

Blue Jays trade proposal swaps Davis Schneider for JoJo Romero

"Toronto Blue Jays trade OF Davis Schneider to Cardinals for LHP JoJo Romero," Schoenfield proposed.

There's a clear reason why such a trade would work for both teams. From the Cardinals' side, Chaim Bloom has been trading away a lot of talent this offseason, and Romero, heading into the final year of club control, is a very obvious trade candidate.

Coming off a 2.07 ERA season for the Cardinals, the 29-year-old left-hander is sure to draw plenty of interest in the trade market, and Schneider, a right-handed hitting slugger who plays the outfield, is exactly what the Cardinals need.

But what about from the Blue Jays' perspective? Why would they trade a beloved player in Schneider, who is under control through 2029, for just one season of Romero?

"... but he (Schneider) has a limited role with the Blue Jays," Schoenfield writes. "... What the Jays need is more bullpen help... Romero would give Toronto a little more certainty from the left - and potentially two excellent lefties if Little finds the strike zone again."

More: MLB Hot Stove tracker: Live updates on news, rumors, signings and trades for 2025 free agency

For the upcoming 2026 season, Schneider is not expected to have much of a role. Okamoto forces Addison Barger to right field, while Anthony Santander, Nathan Lukes, and Myles Straw fill out the outfield depth for the Blue Jays.

George Springer is now slated to be the full-time DH, and Daulton Varsho isn't going anywhere. While Schneider is under club control for a while, the Blue Jays recent signings and their roster construction leave him without a clear roster spot.

Trading him this offseason for more help makes sense. And where do they need the most help? In the bullpen, and specifically, at a left-handed reliever.

It's still a lot to give up, but this proposal from Schoenfield would solve the biggest need for the Blue Jays, while not hurting their starting lineup or depth in a major way.

Would they trade Schneider, who has four years of control, for one year of a reliever? It's not likely. But, with the outfield logjam, a trade of Schneider is not out of the realm of possibility, and landing a new reliever would be ideal.

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