Cardinals Urged To Cut Ties With $81 Million Star In Massive Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals have been placed in a tough spot, albeit a good spot, this season.

They came into the year seemingly ready to enter a rebuild. But the players in the clubhouse have showed up and won a lot of baseball games.

This has put a team that was built to sell and rebuild at the trade deadline in the position to buy and contend. If the Cardinals are contending, would it make sense to stick with the rebuilding plans? Some in the media think so.

Clutchpoints' Garrett Kerman recently voiced his opinion that the Cardinals should look to trade Ryan Helsley this season, whether they're contending or not.

"If there is one player the Cardinals must move before the 2025 trade deadline, it’s closer Ryan Helsley," Kerman wrote. "The hard-throwing right-hander authored what many consider the greatest season by a reliever in Cardinals history in 2024, but with free agency looming and the organization flush with young pitching, Helsley represents the ideal trade chip for a team balancing present competitiveness with future sustainability.

"Trading Helsley at this juncture makes sense for several reasons. First, elite relievers are always in demand among contenders, especially those with October aspirations but bullpen question marks. Helsley’s combination of velocity, strikeout ability, and recent track record would make him one of the most coveted arms on the market."

Trading Helsley seems like a no brainer.

The Cardinals likely won't re-sign him when he lands in free agency. Spotrac projects him to sign for $81 million, which seems a bit too rich for the Cardinals.

Trading him now would net a massive prospect haul rather than watching him walk away in free agency for nothing.