3 bullpen arms the Cardinals should trade not named Ryan Helsley

The St. Louis Cardinals have played their best baseball of the season lately and just swept the Baltimore Orioles to improve to 23-26 on the season. They've had to play their best baseball in a couple of years just to pull to within three games of .500.

Perhaps this Cardinals team can go on an unlikely run and get in postseason contention, but more signs point to the opposite happening. Their offense remains one of the league's worst. Their rotation still has several issues outside of Sonny Gray. The one saving grace is their bullpen.

If the Cardinals go down the selling path, names like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado will obviously come up, but they'll have several relievers to shop as well. Ryan Helsley is the best of the bunch, but they have three other arms that they should consider trading.

3) Keynan Middleton can be a valuable late-game arm when healthy

What's amazing about this Cardinals bullpen is that they've been much better than expected despite their biggest addition over the offseason, Keynan Middleton, being sidelined all season with an injury. Middleton has been out all season with a right forearm flexor strain but is nearing a return and is currently out on a rehab assignment.

The right-hander was a valuable bullpen arm in 2023, posting a 3.38 ERA in 51 appearances and 50.2 innings of work. He was even better after getting traded to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline, allowing just three runs in 14.1 innings (1.88 ERA).

Middleton has great stuff and is making $6 million this season with a club option worth another $6 million for 2025. When he gets healthy he could be a pitcher many teams start calling about as he can help now while also adding in the extra year of control that teams find so valuable. That extra year of control could be why St. Louis opts to keep him, but they'd likely get more value from trading him now.

2) The Andrew Kittredge trade has worked out in 2024 for the Cardinals

Trading Richie Palacios to the Tampa Bay Rays might be something John Mozeliak regrets down the line, but they've gotten everything that they could've hoped for out of Andrew Kittredge thus far.

The right-hander had made a total of 31 appearances in 2021 and 2022 combined after undergoing Tommy John Surgery so it was hard to know what to expect from the 34-year-old but he's been great as a set-up man, posting a 2.21 ERA in 22 appearances and 20.1 innings of work. He has 22 strikeouts compared to just five walks.

Like Middleton, Kittredge comes cheap, making just $2.63 million this season before hitting free agency at season's end. He might not be as valuable as Middleton considering his rental status, but he'll be highly sought-after as a veteran reliever with postseason experience who can help a contender flourish in October.

1) JoJo Romero could be the best left-handed reliever available

When the Cardinals acquired JoJo Romero from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Edmundo Sosa at the 2022 trade deadline they couldn't have expected this. Sosa has been solid in a bench role for the Phillies, but Romero has developed into one of the best left-handed relievers in the game. That's not an exaggeration.

The 27-year-old has posted a 1.42 ERA in 24 appearances and 25.1 innings pitched. He's struck out 25 while walking only four, and has given up just one home run. He's worked as Helsley's primary set-up man and has been utterly dominant, recording 17 holds and only one blown save.

Romero has been untouchable against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .343 OPS. That's not OBP or SLG, that's OPS. Lefties do not have an extra-base hit against Romero and have just four hits in general in 28 at-bats. He's been great against righties too, holding them to a .503 OPS.

Romero being under team control through the 2026 campaign makes him harder to trade, but also makes him more valuable. He's left-handed, has been dominant against both righties and lefties, is cheap, and comes with two more full seasons of team control after this one. The Cardinals can get a nice return, which is why they should trade him while his value is likely at its peak.