Earlier this offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers dealt their top closer, Devin Williams, to the New York Yankees, which created opportunities in the market. This move could pave the way for the St. Louis Cardinals to trade their own star. SBNation’s John Stolnis believes the Cardinals are likely to explore this possibility, and he recently speculated that the star player might be traded before the start of spring training in 2025.
“Like (Framber) Valdez, he can become a free agent after this season, and with the Cardinals retooling/rebuilding for the future, having the game’s best closer last season means more to St. Louis as a trade chip than he does on the field in 2025. The 30-year-old had a 2.04 ERA in a league-high 62 games finished and led all of baseball with 49 saves. He finished 9th in the Cy Young voting this year, and over the past three seasons has a 1.83 ERA in 152 games (167 2/3 innings), with a K/BB ratio of 225/60,” Stolnis wrote. “For a contender in need of a shut-down ninth-inning guy, it’s hard to argue Helsley isn’t a better option than Devin Williams was before he was dealt to the Bronx.”
As top free-agent closers like Tanner Scott are signed, Ryan Helsley’s trade value is expected to rise significantly. This could prompt the St. Louis Cardinals to entertain more trade offers for him. Currently, it seems that general manager John Mozeliak plans to retain Helsley. However, the Cardinals’ front office may eventually recognize that trading Helsley sooner rather than later would maximize his value. Once Scott finalizes his deal, trading Helsley could be the most advantageous move.
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