Let me just start by saying that I think Ryan Helsley is a tremendous pitcher who had a hell of a year and has done great things with the Cardinals. I’ve sure enjoyed watching him come in close games out with “Hell’s Bells” playing as he enters the game at Busch Stadium.
But if the Cardinals are really planning to “reset,” then it makes all the sense in the world to trade him to a contender. Yesterday, John Mozeliak commented that he plans to keep Helsley for 2025. This is a huge mistake.
At this point, you don’t need me to explain why trading him is a good idea. All you need to know is that the Cardinals likely are not going to be in the playoffs next year. They need to beef up their minor league system, and the best way to do that is to trade Helsley.
To be fair, a big part of me is wondering if Mo is only saying this in order to get teams to up the ante on their offers for Helsley. If that’s the case, then it’s a good strategy and can net the Cardinals an even bigger haul than we all initially anticipated.
So, I’ll keep an open mind. But it’s honestly frustrating to hear him say that he hopes the team can be “somewhat competitive.” That’s not good enough, and fans don’t want to hear that. They’ve been only “somewhat competitive” virtually every year since 2016, with the exception of last year of course.
If he does want to hold onto Helsley and be only somewhat competitive, then it’s just further proof that he has no idea what he’s doing and that the Cardinals have no plan for the future. They need to choose between either competing or not competing. There’s no in-between right now.
Why hold onto Helsley if you’re not trying to build the best possible roster for 2025? If the Cardinals want to contend, then they need to spend money in free agency. Why not go after Shane Bieber or Walker Buehler if that’s the case.
Again, I’m hoping it’s just a ploy by Mo to get teams to put forth their best offers for the All-Star closer. That would be the smartest move for sure, but I guarantee that few, if any in the fanbase are looking forward to a trip to the postseason next year. Everyone wants that, but in all likelihood, it’s not going to happen.
The best thing the Cardinals can do is trade Helsley, and that needs to happen within the next few weeks at most.