By appointing Chaim Bloom to replace John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations in 2026, the St. Louis Cardinals revealed their long-term intentions this offseason. Since the team is anticipated to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, one player in particular is anticipated to attract the greatest attention.
Despite his inconsistent start to the season, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Ryan Hesley, the All-Star closer for the Cardinals, may be the most sought-after reliever available this summer.
- Ryan Helsley stats (ESPN):Â 3.21 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 7 saves, 14-10 K-BB in 14 innings
Helsley, 30, led the league in saves in 2024 and was named to the All-MLB First Team. After recording a 2.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 49 saves in 66.1 innings thrown, he was also named the NL Reliever of the Year. But with an eye on a trade this summer, St. Louis decided to hold onto him this winter.
This season, the 6-foot-2 righty hasn’t been as productive. This year, hitters are hitting.250/.375/.346 off Helsley after a year in which they held opponents to a.210/.275/.273 triple-slash line with a.549 OPS. This is mostly due to a career-worst walk rate of 15.6%, which is almost twice as high as the 8.6% rate from the previous season.
- Ryan Helsley contract (Spotrac):Â $8.2 million salary in 2025, free agent this winter
Helsley had a full season left on his contract, so St. Louis could have gotten more for him if they had sold him this winter. He will now be a half-season rental, and there are some worries about his declining command given the sharp rise in hits per nine allowed (6.8 to 8.4).
However, with a 1.83 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 2022–2024, he was among the finest relievers in MLB. Come July, several World Series contenders will be looking for a high-end reliever, and Helsley is expected to be the best one on the market.
