Cardinals Insider Predicts St. Louis Will Cut Ties With $81 Million Star

The St. Louis Cardinals have to make a tough Ryan Helsley decision this season.

Helsley's contract expires at the end of the year and Spotrac projects him to sign for $81 million over six years. At that price, the Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign him, so trading him would make the most sense.

But the Cardinals are winning a lot more than anybody expected. Will this change the obvious decision to trade Helsley?

Redbird Rants' Josh Jacobs recently suggested the Cardinals could trade Helsley this season even if they're buyers at the trade deadline.

"First, Helsley may be able to net them big league-ready talent. Their starting pitching depth is still pretty thin, especially with a number of injuries to their minor league arms, so Helsley could bolster that for them," Jacobs wrote. "The Cardinals could move Helsley for intriguing assets, and then go after a cheaper reliever on the trade market to replace some of the production they lost from him, whether as their new closer or to backfill other roles that now shift without Helsley in the bullpen.

"Second, if the Cardinals decided to make a bigger swing at this deadline, it would require valuable assets to do so, and Helsley could be one of those pieces in such a deal, or they could trade him in a separate move to recoup some of their young talent that they lost in a different deal."

Trading Helsley makes sense no matter the record for the Cardinals, but it might not make sense in a buying move. It's hard to imagine the Cardinals getting better this season if they trade the flamethrower.

Instead, trading him would be a move for the future as the Cardinals could look to net a return similar to what the Miami Marlins landed for Tanner Scott last season.