Cardinals Writer Gives Update On Ryan Helsley Trade Situation

St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley hasn’t been at his best in 2025, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get traded before the deadline.

Helsey’s loss on Saturday continued a tough season for the two-time All-Star, at least compared with what he’s capable of as a lights-out closer.

At this time last season, Helsley had converted 32 of 34 save opportunities and was seen as arguably the best closer in Major League Baseball. This year, he’s just 18 of 23 and has an inferior 3.38 ERA to what he’s used to.

But how will this impact Helsley’s and the Cardinals’ shared trade destiny in July? Helsley has been floated as a trade chip constantly over the past few weeks.

According to MLB.com’s John Denton, despite Helsley’s down year, Helsley's strong reputation built on a successful career is one of the factors that could lead to him ultimately being moved.

“Helsley’s performance (on Saturday) comes against the backdrop of the July 31 Trade Deadline being less than three weeks away,” Denton wrote. “Helsley is the Cardinals’ longest-tenured player, having been in the organization since 2015 when he was the 161st overall pick of that year’s Draft. However, his past success, his expiring contract and his hopes to command a salary equivalent to that of Astros closer Josh Hader and Mets star Edwin Díaz, could make him expendable.”

As the Cardinals lean into their youth movement, and as president of baseball operations John Mozeliak passes the torch to Chaim Bloom, a big payday for Helsley might not be in the cards for St. Louis (pun intended).

Who knows, maybe Helsley — despite his preference to remain in St. Louis — would be pleasantly surprised to find himself enjoying pitching in the postseason this fall, were he dealt to a contender.