The St. Louis Cardinals are shopping around their record-setting All-Star closer Ryan Helsley in the 2024 offseason, but he prefers to stay with the only MLB team he has played for.
Helsley, drafted and developed by the Cardinals, was born in nearby Oklahoma. His most recent season, his 10th with the organization, was historic. He posted a 2.04 ERA in 66 1/3 innings, and his league-leading 49 saves were the most in Cardinals history. Initially named to the All-Star team, Helsley withdrew for injury concerns. Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan replaced him on the team.
Now, as Helsley enters his last year of arbitration, a Cardinals organization going through a re-tool is facing a tough reality. Is it worth paying one of the best closers in the world to pitch for a non-contending team?
The Grass Might Not Be Greener for Ryan Helsley
According to John Denton of MLB.com, Helsley’s ideal outcome is to remain with the Cardinals.
Star closer Ryan Helsley prefers to remain with the #STLCards, but he knows his long-term future is uncertain.
“With the way things have gone this last year they like me where I’m at [financially], but they don’t know if they want to keep me long-term.”https://t.co/Ggwvusn5LY
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) December 2, 2024
However, Helsley is also bracing himself for a potential move in the coming weeks. The MLB Winter Meetings will take place December 9-12, and teams have concocted many blockbuster deals at past versions of the event.
“If I get traded, I hope it’s to a team that I can help win,” Helsley said, “But that would be an emotional day because I grew up rooting for the Cardinals, got drafted by them in 2015 and I’ve spent 10 years with them. But, at the end of the day, I’ve got to be professional and move on if it comes to that.”
The Cardinals, who are aggressively pushing for payroll flexibility, will likely owe Helsley a large raise in his last year of arbitration. Saves are among the counting stats used to calculate the value of relievers, and Helsley’s impressive record will give him vast amounts of leverage going into negotiations.
After 2025, Helsley becomes an unrestricted free agent who will potentially command a value near the top of the reliever market: somewhere between $16 and 20 million dollars in average annual value.
Much depends on what the Cardinals see as their time frame for contention, but a trade of Helsley to a team lacking a bonafide closer such as the New York Yankees or Toronto Blue Jays could net huge gains for the Cardinals’ farm system.
Photo Credit: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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