So much for a “transition year.”
When the 2025 season kicked off, the St. Louis Cardinals were painted as a team caught between eras – one foot in the past, the other stepping toward a rebuild. The buzz around the league wasn’t whether they’d make the playoffs, but how many established names they’d ship out by July 31.
Nolan Arenado? Gone. Erick Fedde? Moved for prospects. Sonny Gray? A gift to a contender starved for arms. Even Brendan Donovan, mid-breakout, was getting mentioned in theoretical trade packages.
But fast-forward past the quarter-point in the season, and the tone in St. Louis has shifted from fire sale to full-blown fork in the road.
The Cardinals sit at 28–23, a respectable mark that puts them three games back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central. And while they’re just outside the wild-card bubble – trailing the Padres by one game for the final spot – they’re also staring down a logjam of competition. Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Arizona, and Atlanta all sit within 3.5 games of them.
It’s a fight for playoff positioning, and the Cardinals are very much in the thick of it. Which makes the question now facing John Mozeliak’s front office less about who’s available, and more about what kind of team they really are.
Are the Cardinals a surprise playoff hopeful with a veteran core that deserves reinforcements? Or are they a team barely hanging on that could crash back to Earth, and should cash in on expiring assets while the value is high?
MLB Analyst Suggests Cardinals Trade Pending Free Agent Ryan Helsley
But regardless of which way the Cardinals lean, Garrett Kerman of ClutchPoints suggests that there is one player the team should definitely trade: closer Ryan Helsley.
A 30-year-old right-hander now in his seventh season with the Cardinals, Helsley has 10 saves in 12 opportunities, with a 3.71 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 17 innings. He led the National League last year with 49 saves, but he will be a free agent after this season, and with the Cardinals unlikely to resign him, Kerman said the team should seek a deal that would bring them assets for future seasons.
“The hard-throwing right-hander authored what many consider the greatest season by a reliever in Cardinals history in 2024,” Kerman reasoned, “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.”
And Kerman stated that Helsley also represents the ideal target for a Los Angeles Dodgers team seeking to become the first back-to-back World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three straight in 1998-2000.
“For the Dodgers, acquiring Helsley solidifies the ninth inning for a team with World Series ambitions and recent late-inning struggles,” Kerman wrote.
Trade Proposal Includes Two Dodgers Prospects for Closer Ryan Helsley
GettySt. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley led the National League with 49 saves in 2024, and MLB analysts suggest the Cardinals trade him before he leaves as a free agent after this season.
In exchange, Kerman proposed a trio of players that includes a pair of prospects in outfielder Josue De Paula (rated No. 2 in the Dodgers system) and right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso (No.12). Kerman also suggested 28-year-old reliever Michael Grove to round out the package, but Grove is not expected to pitch in 2025 after undergoing shoulder surgery, so Jack Dreyer or Anthony Banda would present a better option.
But regardless, Kerman’s point remains: rather than losing Helsley for a mere compensatory draft pick, the Cardinals would be wise to reap the maximum benefits.
Trading Ryan Helsley is not a move made lightly, nor is it a white flag on the 2025 season. Rather, it is a calculated decision that reflects the Cardinals’ unique position: competitive now, but to build a sustainable winner for years to come,” Kerman stated. “By moving Helsley to peak value, St. Louis can reinforce its farm system, address future needs, and maintain flexibility as its young core matures.”
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