Cardinals Stunner: Superstar May Not End Up Leaving After All

Will the St. Louis Cardinals cut ties with their top relief pitcher this summer?

Ryan Helsley has had his name thrown around more in trade rumors over the last few months than most players around the league. He's heading to free agency after the season and that uncertainty regarding his future is what has led some to wonder what the team is going to do with him. It seemed like a safe bet during the offseason that the Cardinals would move on, but that didn't happen.

Now, the Cardinals have a 47-39 record with the trade deadline just weeks away. St. Louis looks like a contender, so what does that mean for Helsley? The Athletic's Katie Woo addressed the elephant in the room.

"Helsley’s case is complicated," Woo said. "The two-time All-Star has seen his ERA jump to 3.41, nearly 1 1/2 runs above his 2.04 mark in 2024, and his fastball command has been erratic. Yet he remains one of the game’s top closers — and contending teams will overpay for an elite ninth-inning arm, regardless of expiring contract status. If the Cardinals consider themselves contenders, would they trade their top reliever? If they keep him, do they risk letting him walk in free agency (something that will ultimately be a Bloom decision)?

"St. Louis may receive such a strong offer that it feels compelled to move Helsley. But initial internal conversations have suggested the opposite. The Cardinals may feel inclined to hold on to Helsley and decide on his future at the end of the season, and weigh the risk of losing out on a return if he walks in free agency. This situation is likely to fluctuate throughout the next few weeks."

There you have it. If Woo thinks that there's a chance that Helsley stays, then it seems like a safe bet.