Earlier this offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers traded their star closer, Devin Williams, to the New York Yankees, which has sparked interest in the trade market. This could pave the way for the St. Louis Cardinals to move their own star closer, Ryan Helsley.
John Stolnis of SBNation expects the Cardinals to consider this move. Stolnis recently suggested that the Cardinals could trade Helsley before the start of spring training in 2025.
“Similar to (Framber) Valdez, Helsley can become a free agent after this season, and with the Cardinals focusing on retooling for the future, having one of the league’s top closers from last year becomes more valuable as a trade asset than it does on the field in 2025. The 30-year-old posted a 2.04 ERA in a league-leading 62 games finished, recording a career-high 49 saves. He also finished 9th in Cy Young voting and, over the past three seasons, has a 1.83 ERA in 152 games (167 2/3 innings), with a 225/60 K/BB ratio,” Stolnis wrote. “For a contender in need of a shutdown closer, Helsley may be a better option than Williams was before his trade to New York.”
As top free agent closers like Tanner Scott sign with teams, Helsley’s trade value is expected to rise. This could prompt the Cardinals to entertain more trade offers.
Currently, general manager John Mozeliak appears to want to retain Helsley, but the front office will likely come to realize that trading him early will yield the greatest return. Moving him after Scott signs would be the ideal scenario.
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