2 top prospects that could bolster the Cardinals' bullpen right now

Now into June, any talk of the St. Louis Cardinals selling from their contending roster is met with disapproval from the fanbase. Most recently, the Cardinals are rumored to be moving on from two veteran arms if the postseason dream fades. Those subtractions would hurt in theory, but the possible replacements for at least JoJo Romero are already on the roster and ready to go.

The left-handed Romero has been involved in the trade rumor mill since last season and have continued as the halfway point nears this year. As a bullpen piece on an expiring contract, it was seen as a no-brainer to cash in on his remaining value, especially with St. Louis expected to be at the bottom of the standings. Now, with a hold on a Wild Card spot, some want Romero to stay despite the potential prospect return and the fact the bullpen needs some major attention.

Brycen Mautz and Cooper Hjerpe could bolster the lefty relief in the Cardinals bullpen

In Bob Nightengale's article referencing the rumors, the insider said that a deal surrounding Romero would happen if the Cardinals slipped out of the October conversation. I am in the argument that Chaim Bloom should look to trade Romero regardless, especially since the current backup options could replace him, or even provide an improvement. The first choice would be in the form of Brycen Mautz, who made a good first impression in his big league debut earlier this year.

Despite Mautz never pitching in relief in his professional career, the lefty answered the call in a big way after getting a spot start taken from him due to weather. The Cardinals rewarded him and allowed Mautz to stick around for his opportunity. After his three-inning outing, he was demoted to Memphis with the idea of having him stay on a starter schedule. With the St. Louis rotation performing relatively well and the bullpen struggling, though, Mautz's next call to the bigs could be as reinforcements to the bullpen.

A Mautz move may not even need a trade to happen as Justin Bruihl has not been overly impressive as the second lefty in the pen. If his struggles continue, Bloom could keep his recent roster churn going and opt to give manager Oli Marmol a different option for the middle innings. Assuming Mautz grabs hold of that spot, a Romero trade could bump him up to the higher leverage role and create a new opening for rehabbing prospect Cooper Hjerpe.

If Bloom waits for the trade deadline to make a decision on JoJo Romero, that would provide lefty first-round draftee Cooper Hjerpe some additional time to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. The southpaw just made his first appearance of the season and will continue building up his workload in the minor league ranks. Hjerpe has never pitched above Double-A. The six-week timeframe could give him both the time needed for a full recovery and also the experience to prove he is ready for a promotion.

Since Hjerpe is already on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals should make use of his spot and get some innings out of him while they can. Because of his unorthodox delivery, he could be another weapon for Marmol to use in certain matchups during the last stretch of the year. Like Mautz, Hjerpe has been a starter for the vast majority of his short professional career, but the bullpen is a path to a quicker call to the show.

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