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Top 5 St. Louis Cardinals with most to gain from the World Baseball Classic
By Jason Martin
2. JoJo Romero
A midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia Phillies, JoJo Romero gave St. Louis some stability from the left side in the bullpen. He has, however, found himself in the middle of one of the most contested roles in camp this season.
Romero is one of more than five left-handed arms trying to land on the roster for St. Louis come March 30. Zach Thompson, Genesis Cabrera, Andrew Suarez, and Anthony Misiewicz are among the group that is competing for one or two spots.
The 26-year-old does not have the pedigree or the top prospect label that some of the above-mentioned pitchers have. He has appeared in just 40 games in his major league career and has an ERA north of six.
He netted 15 appearances in St. Louis last year, and in 14.1 innings of work, he struck out 16 batters and allowed nine hits and six earned runs. His season ERA between Philadelphia and St. Louis was 4.96.
Romero figures to be in the mix for some important innings for Team Mexico in a loaded Pool C. He should see some of the world's best left-handed hitters including Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker.
If he can show well against some of the league's best hitters regardless of handedness, Romero could find his way on the roster in no time for the St. Louis Cardinals.