St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley can see the writing on the wall. While the Cardinals got out to an encouraging start, the team has cratered in July and could look to sell off parts despite still being in the wild-card hunt.
Despite the team sitting just 2.5 games out of the playoffs, Helsley expects to change franchises ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. When asked about his situation, Helsley gave a blunt, honest answer, saying it was “90 percent” likely he would be traded, per The Athletic.
Still, contending teams want firepower, and relief pitching is always coveted this time of year. Helsley and the Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase look to be the top closers available, leaving Helsley counting down the days.
“I would say it’s 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay,” Helsley said.
As The Athletic notes, it’s common for relievers to be dealt around the trade deadline. Every contender could always use another bullpen arm, and strong relievers generally don’t cost much, at least compared to a star starter or position player.
Still, Helsley’s estimation of the situation could come as a surprise, considering the Cardinals are still very much in the playoff race. At 53-51 entering Friday, there’s an argument the team should acquire parts and make a second-half push for the postseason.
But St. Louis’ recent play doesn’t offer hope that’s possible. The Cardinals have gone 6-12 in July and opened the second half by getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks and dropping a series against the Colorado Rockies. At a time, when every team’s performance is magnified by the front office, the Cardinals aren’t showing much fight.
Though Helsley has experienced some regression, he should draw plenty of value at the trade deadline. The fireballer has a 3.09 ERA over 35 innings, with a 25.5 percent strikeout rate and 20 saves. While those numbers are strong, they represent a slight decline for Helsley, who struck out nearly 30 percent of batters faced last year en route to a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves. That performance earned Helsley his second All-Star appearance and some down-ballot Cy Young votes.
There exists a scenario where the Cardinals are able to trade Helsley and still remain in contention. Relievers are easier to replace than most players, and trading for a major-league ready player at another position could give the Cardinals the boost they need to contend in the second half.
Trading Helsley isn’t necessarily a white flag for the Cardinals, though the fact that he feels so certain he’s on his way out probably doesn’t bode well for the team’s 2025 chances.
