Cardinals Insider Reveals Shocking Ryan Helsley Trade Prediction

The St. Louis Cardinals have a massive decision to make their superstar closer Ryan Helsley before the trade deadline, and it doesn't seem like they know what they're going to do yet.

St. Louis needs to decide whether it will trade Helsley. The pros to trading him would be netting a massive return of prospects, but the cons would be crushing the contending big league club.

The Athletic's Katie Woo recently made the bold prediction that the Cardinals would hold onto Helsley beyond the trade deadline and offer him a qualifying offer in free agency.

"Ryan Helsley has not been nearly as dominant as last season, but he’s still logged 19 saves out of 25 opportunities, and his fastball velocity remains one of the best in the league," Woo wrote. "Every contending team covets high-leverage firepower in relief. But the Cardinals, who are teetering on the competitive ledge themselves, don’t seem inclined to trade him, even with Helsley set for free agency after the season. St. Louis could net a sizable return by trading its closer, but it’s more likely it holds on to him, extend a qualifying offer for 2026 and hope for a competitive draft pick if he walks."

Holding onto Helsley would be a bold decision for the Cardinals to make. St. Louis would need to pair that decision with a few other trades to add to the big-league roster in order to make a serious postseason push.

As long as St. Louis is willing to extend Helsley a qualifying offer during the offseason, this decision won't be too bad. That would, at the very least, make sure the Cardinals can net a competitive draft pick if they lose the righty in free agency.