Cardinals Biggest Offseason Blunder Could Return To Haunt Them At Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals declared an organizational reset last fall after failing to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive season but neglected to implement their plans this winter.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak hoped to trade several veterans this offseason, such as ace Sonny Gray and superstar Nolan Arenado, to help reduce the payroll. Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan, leaving St. Louis with a youth-laden core that includes a handful of expensive players who have no intentions of waiving their full no-trade clauses.

Failing to offload talent from the big-league roster this offseason undoubtedly has Cardinals fans upset, considering that not much has changed from last year's 83-79 record club. It's disappointing that St. Louis had a perfect opportunity to complete a blockbuster trade but elected to hold onto the valuable asset.

"It would have been a tough pill for Cardinals fans to swallow if they traded closer Ryan Helsley over the winter following a season in which he won the Trevor Hoffman Award as the National League's best reliever," Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly wrote Friday when discussing each team's most regrettable decision from this offseason. "But given the Cardinals are taking a step back in 2025 with their eyes on the future and are looking to replenish their farm system, trading him after a 49-save season probably would have been the right move for the organization."

Helsley will become a free agent for the first time in his seven-year career after this upcoming season ends and could raise his stock to an astronomical price tag of $100 million. With the Cardinals looking to shed payroll and reset, it's doubtful they'd make legitimate efforts to retain a potential nine-figure hurler -- a volatile triple-digit velocity-throwing closing pitcher.

"Even if Helsley doesn't get hurt, the Cardinals will get a lesser return at the trade deadline or if he leaves in free agency than they would have received if they traded him this offseason," Kelly finished with.

Mozeliak, who Chaim Bloom will replace as the Cardinals baseball boss in 2026, never genuinely intended to trade Helsley this offseason, which is baffling considering that he planned on resetting the franchise. Moving the fireballer could've provided St. Louis with a decent top prospect haul in return but now, the 11-time World Series champions will be lucky to get much of anything if he's dealt this summer.

Hopefully, Bloom will help the Cardinals find their way again after he takes over this fall. Mozeliak helped St. Louis win the 2011 World Series title but his reign as the franchise's baseball boss is coming to a gloomy end, plagued by indecision and short-sightedness.