What a waste of a “transition year.”
With one foot in the past and the other moving toward a rebuild, the St. Louis Cardinals were portrayed as a team trapped between eras when the 2025 season began. The league was more concerned with how many well-known players they would ship out by July 31 than with whether they would qualify for the playoffs.
Arenado, Nolan? Lost. Fedde, Erick? moved in search of possibilities. Sonny Gray? A present to an arm-starved candidate. Theoretical trade packages were even mentioning Brendan Donovan in the midst of his breakthrough.
However, as the season progresses past the quarter-point, the atmosphere in St. Louis has changed from one of fire sale to one of full-blown fork in the road.
The Cardinals are three games behind the Cubs in first place in the NL Central with a decent record of 28–23. They are also facing a deadlock of competition, even though they are only one game behind the Padres for the final spot and outside the wild-card bubble. They are within 3.5 games of Atlanta, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and Arizona.
The Cardinals are right in the middle of the battle for postseason placement. As a result, John Mozeliak’s front office is now more concerned with determining their true team composition than with determining who is available.
Is the seasoned core of the Cardinals a surprise playoff contender that has to be strengthened? Should they cash in on expiring assets while their worth is high, or are they a squad that is just about to tumble down to Earth?
MLB Analyst Suggests Cardinals Trade Pending Free Agent Ryan Helsley
But regardless of the Cardinals’ stance, Garrett Kerman of ClutchPoints says that closer Ryan Helsley is the one player the organization should trade.
Helsley, a 30-year-old right-hander in his seventh season with the Cardinals, leads the National League in saves last season with 49, but he will be a free agent after this season, and since the Cardinals are unlikely to resign him, Kerman said the team should look for a deal that would bring them assets for future seasons. Helsley has 10 saves in 12 opportunities, a 3.71 ERA, and 17 strikeouts in 17 innings.
“With free agency approaching and the team stocked with young pitching, the hard-throwing right-hander wrote what many consider to be the best season by a reliever in Cardinals history in 2024,” Kerman reasoned, “but Helsley is the perfect trade chip for a team balancing present competitiveness with future sustainability.”
Additionally, according to Kerman, Helsley is the perfect target for a Los Angeles Dodgers club hoping to win back-to-back World Series because the New York Yankees did so in 1998–2000.
Kerman stated, “The Dodgers’ acquisition of Helsley solidifies the ninth inning for a team with recent late-inning struggles and World Series aspirations.”
Trade Proposal Includes Two Dodgers Prospects for Closer Ryan Helsley
Kerman offered three players in return, including two prospects: right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso (ranked No. 12 in the Dodgers organization) and outfielder Josue De Paula (ranked No. 2). Kerman also recommended 28-year-old reliever Michael Grove to complete the deal, but Jack Dreyer or Anthony Banda would be a better choice because Grove is not anticipated to pitch in 2025 following shoulder surgery.
Nevertheless, Kerman’s argument is still valid: the Cardinals would be better off maximizing the gains rather than losing Helsley for a just compensatory draft selection.
Ryan Helsley’s trade is not a hasty decision or a warning sign for the 2025 campaign. Instead, it is a well-thought-out choice that captures the Cardinals’ distinct position: competitive right now, but to create a long-term winner,” Kerman said. “St. Louis can strengthen its farm system, meet future demands, and preserve flexibility as its youthful core matures by bringing Helsley to peak value.”
