Ryan Helsley has stood as a logical trade candidate for upwards of ten months now, dating back to the Cardinals’ declaration that they planned to reduce payroll heading into the 2025 season and focus on creating opportunities for young players. St. Louis surprisingly held onto Helsley all offseason and up into deadline season. After holding a Wild Card spot earlier this summer, they’ve gone dropped 13 of their past 19 games and now sit nine games out of the division lead. They’re still just two and a half games back in the Wild Card scene but have three teams to leapfrog.
With the team’s recent slide, indications have been that they’ll wind up operating primarily on the sell side of the market. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported in the past couple days that the Cards are listening on not only Helsley but also relievers Phil Maton and Steven Matz. Goold wrote this morning that the Cardinals aren’t necessarily turning away interest in lefty reliever John King or infielder Nolan Gorman — among other unnamed, more controllable pieces. (Presumably, southpaw JoJo Romero, who’s controlled through just the 2026 season, is obtainable as well.)
The reality seems to be setting in on the roster. Helsley told The Athletic’s Katie Woo tonight that the “likelihood is probably as great as it’s ever been for me to get traded” before going on to add: “I would say it’s 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay.” Helsley made clear that his preference would be to remain with the Cardinals and win in St. Louis, but that’s not a decision that’s under his control at the moment.
At least five clubs have shown interest in Helsley, per Woo and colleague Will Sammon. The Dodgers are known to have interest in the 31-year-old flamethrower, and the Phillies were connected to him earlier this season. Back in the offseason, the Blue Jays were among the teams with interest, and it stands to reason now that they’re clear deadline buyers, they could revisit their pursuit of the impending free agent.
Helsley is earning $8.2MM in his final season of club control. The Cardinals could make him a qualifying offer and recoup a compensatory pick in the 2026 draft if he turns it down and signs elsewhere, though that would presume continued health and production from Helsley down the stretch. Neither is a guarantee. The most surefire way to extract some future value from the former All-Star is to trade him within the next week.
Helsley is having a nice season relative to the average big league reliever but a down year by his standards. He’s pitched 35 innings and logged a 3.09 ERA but has already blown five saves — more than he did all of last season (four). Helsley’s 25.5% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate have both trended in the wrong direction. He punched out 34.6% of his opponents from 2022-24, but his strikeout rate has now dipped for a third consecutive season. His walk rate is up from both the 8.6% and 8.4% marks he posted in 2024 and 2022, respectively, though it’s better than the 11.6% mark he logged in 2023 and right in line with his overall 2022-24 rate. He’s still averaging better than 99 mph on his fastball, though even his 99.3 mph average represents a modest dip from last year’s 99.6 mph.
That’s not to say Helsley doesn’t have much trade value. He’s one of the most talented relievers on the market, and the asking price on him will be considerably lower than on other marquee relievers like Emmanuel Clase, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and David Bednar — all of whom are controlled at least one additional season (one for Bednar, two for Duran and Jax, three for Clase). Contending clubs covet power arms with high-leverage track records this time of year, and Helsley still checks those boxes, even if his results have dipped.
If the Cards string together several wins, perhaps they’ll ultimately wind up holding onto Helsley and plan to make him a qualifying offer. As things stand, however, the pitcher himself is bracing for a trade within the next week — and it sounds like several other Cardinals could end up on the move as well.
The silly Cards should’ve traded him last year!
Why trade him when they are in the hunt they just moved up another game today in the WC
They aren’t. Even if the cardinals were able to somehow leapfrog the teams in front of them and secure a wildcard, there’s 0 chance that this STL team does anything at all in the postseason
Agreed. Our “ace” got blown up in that W last night and the SP haven’t shown ANYTHING to inspire confidence. I think they need to trade Lars too if he gets healthy. They have too many corner OF types, especially if JJ comes up to play 2B and Donny has to go to a corner.
I’m not trying to be negative here, but this is the exact reason why we are where we are. So many fans have been coming to the games because they are happy with us just being close to a third wildcard. That is not where this organization should ever be. And what is the point? I don’t want to hear that once you get in the playoffs anything can happen… This team is currently structured, especially with the starting staff has legitimately no chance to beat any of the good teams.
The majority of fans are speaking loudly and clearly; Cardinal Nation isn’t attending games anywhere nearly as much as in YEARS past. That message is largely getting through to management/ownership and positive changes are being made within the organization.
Are the changes as quick or as broad as some would like? Probably not, but good things are happening while still having SOME chance to win games and play entertaining baseball.
Onward to 2026 and beyond!
I’d say the reason the Cards are where they are is Ollie Marmol… worst manager I’ve ever seen in baseball hands down
The Cardinals should trade Helsley no doubt about it.
Yeah, he says he wants to stay in STL. Maybe they could do a similar move to when Aroldis Chapman was traded to Chicago from New York for Glyber Torres and company and resign Helsley durring the offseason
The Padres saved the Marlins season, perhaps they can save the Cardinals’ too
Padres like the rest of the teams below them all have real flaws.
They can win 3 in a row or lose 3 in a row any given 3 days.
I’m starting to fall into the reality that this padres team just might not ever get a good stretch going again. They play .500 ball and have a brutal stretch coming up.
Can the Yankees trade their coaching staff? Like, minors and majors? And perhaps bring in a staff from the 14u National team to teach fundamentals and accountability?
Jomboy had a good rant after the series against the Blue Jays. They basically said anyone developed internally was screwed. The player development needed a complete revamping. Great rant, all good points. Oh and the Boone interview this week was pure gold lol
I watched it, it was excellent. Boone’s interview made him look like an arrogant, condescending jerk. It’s a stark reminder of why people hate the Yankees and their fans, except they actually used to back the arrogance up on the field.
I was very disappointed in Foul Territory’s take on the matter and their support of Boone, while saying Yankees fans should be happy because Boone gets kicked out of more games than any manager in the game (thus demonstrating his passion to win, I guess?).
The fact that the organization is now the butt of jokes of all the semi-competent teams is the Yankees own fault.
I LOVE the Yankees. They were always my favorite team out of any team, in any league, in any sport. I’ve always been fully committed to them, even in the early 1990’s when they were a laughingstock. At least then they had Buck and he was trying to right the ship.
But, I’m nearing my wit’s end with Boone and Cashman. I’m so sick of those two.
@ yankee clipper
I have a solution to the nyy problems, what we need to do is clone gorge and fire hal. Ever since gorge passed the yanks seem to do just enough to “win”.
were you sick of winning the pennant last year? you’re the Yankee fans that people are sick of. try being a marlins or reds fan and learn how good you got it
When the same manager costs you a WS, yes, you’re sick about winning the pennant.
brodie-bruce: Hal can’t be fired from being an owner and managing partner.
@blue
I’m sure the clone of his dad will find a way to be back in charge.
goatfax: You sound like an angry guy.
Yup. That guy Aaron Judge is screwed.
Anyone but the Dodgers. I’ve never had more fatigue over a professional sports franchise.
Except that the Cardinals could use young pitching and the Dodgers could offer Jackson Ferris, Nick Frasso and Tony Gonsolin for Helsley and Maton. Doubt it will happen but that would be an offer the Cardinals would have to jump at if they were smart.
@100 I’d actually like to make an offer to sign Maton, but if he could get packaged for that deal, I’m in.
If the Dodgers offer Ferris i will drive Helsley to the airport myself.
I just dont know what people think teams would offer for him. If you have followed his career hes come up lame in many big opportunities. He choked game 1 away against the Phillies in 2022. People forget that was a really good team and they were favored against the Phillies that year. Had the game won and he blew it.
He had a thumb injury and was asked to pitch more than one inning (after Quintana was pulled while dealing.)
Was malpractice by Marmol, not on Helsley.
One of the worst decisions I have ever seen a manager make. It made no sense to pull Q in that game.
Some of MO’s worst moves have been his manager hires. Matheny was terrible. Oli is fine but you handed a contender with Pujols and Yadi to a first timer and it showed in the biggest moment.
Blame that loss on your 2B who couldn’t make the play on Segura’s ten-hop ground ball in Game 1.
Firing Schildt because he knew the cards sp plans of Lynn and Gibson was lame was the binning of the end. I think Trip Dewitt is an idiot.
LA has about five guys who can close, plus they’ll get Blake Treinen back shortly. LA needs hitters more than bullpen help. Mookie way off this year. Freddy’s BA dropped about seventy points since June. Teoscar no better than average this year. Edman in a 2 1/2-month funk after his hot start. Conforto a FA bust. JMHO, but Will Smith isn’t gonna finish the year batting .323. Regression coming for him.
LA needs to get a guy like Kwan to play LF and maybe a SP too. Relying on LA pitchers to stay healthy is a fool’s errand. Should go after Cabrera (Miami) or Keller (Pitt).
He’s been a good Cardinal, but it’s time, my guy.
Someone in the front office probably gave him the heads-up I’m guessing. He’s going to bring back some good prospects.
I hope he brings something good, but his stock is down a bit. But we neeeeed to get something now that a Fedde trade will bring something close to zero.
*oof, forgot Fedde already DFA’d. Need my coffee! 🙂
Fedde could still be traded, and probably will be.
Hopefully will be traded before he hits waivers or they will get nothing
Helsley closed out the game tonight. Cardinals need to win 4 out of the next 6 games in my estimation to stay in realistic contention. We will see. If they lose the next 3 to the Padres I am ready to call them sellers but maybe we wait until that actually happens or not?
Cardinals are 2.5 games out of the wild card. And they have 3 games against one of the teams in front of them coming up at home. Why Helsley is so sure hes getting traded i dont know. Perhaps hes a MLBTR member and frequenter lol.
The cards might sneak into the playoffs but they aren’t built to win it all. You can get a comp pick on a flyer or some prospects you have professional track records on. Quantity should win if they are smart.
The team has won when it wasnt expected to win in the past. I think Wetherholt is coming soon and he could provide a spark. He’s a future batting champion hes going to be a stud.
Because the Cards rotation is a mess.
Come on Mo! Don’t make the same mistake twice. Trade him. Trade him!
Just 2 1/2 games behind in the WC race and a team trades its closer! I could see the logic if we had someone waiting in the wings to close like the Brewers did with Devin Williams when they traded Josh Hader, but we do not.
Trade Helsley and the GM might as well hang a sign in the clubhouse that reads, “You Guys Suck So I Gave Up!”.
Mozeliak’s swan song season can’t end soon enough.
I have never seen a POBO so crippled by decision paralysis.
I’m not sure why people keep talking about the Cardinals making a qualifying offer to Helsley for a comp pick. I don’t think that is an option they would even consider. Too much money for a reliever.
Indeed. Helsley would almost certainly jump at a one-year QO offer that’s estimated at about $20m. Not worth that risk, even with the possibility of a comp pick.
Create a false narrative where the fan thinks the team competes, and you’ve accomplished your goal. Winning takes a back seat to profit every time. That;s why Chaim Bloom was hired.. It will take years for teams to follow in the Tampa footprint.. Couple that with an almost guaranteed lock out in 27, One can’t wonder why teams won’t spend.
Key words there are “the Tampa Blueprint” not the Chaim Bloom blueprint. He proved to be a joke in Boston and where ever else he got fired from. Tampa has the Blueprint; not Bloom. Bloom has a copyright for destroying teams whereas he wasnt given full control of the reigns in Tampa
If it were Sherman they’d be moving on up