Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Reveal Ryan Helsley Replacement; New Plan In St. Louis

The Cardinals are going to have decisions to make...
Patrick McAvoy|
Jul 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates with catcher Yohel Pozo (63) after the Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Jul 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates with catcher Yohel Pozo (63) after the Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals have some big shoes to fill.

Ryan Helsley was traded to the New York Mets and made his team debut on Friday night. Helsley pitched one inning and allowed two base hits and struck out three batters. Now, his ERA on the season is at 2.92 through 37 total appearances.

So, with Helsley gone, how are the Cardinals going to fill the closer role? The Athletic's Katie Woo shared some insight into the decision that St. Louis will have to make in the near future.

"Oli Marmol says the Cardinals will go closer by committee, acknowledged that while JoJo Romero is probably best built to close, the fact that he's their lone lefty reliever complicates usage," Woo said.

The Cardinals were in rumors for months when it came to Helsley. It's one of the least surprising decisions of the summer that the Cardinals flipped him. After dropping a contest against the San Diego Padres on Friday, now the Cardinals have a 55-56 record through 111 games played. The Cardinals' bullpen actually has been one of the best in baseball this season. Right now, St. Louis has the sixth-best ERA in the game at 3.51.

It's tough to lose someone like Helsley, along with Steven Matz and Phil Maton, but there is still enough talent here to at least keep the bullpen above water. It's going to be tougher now, but the Cardinals have pieces to replace Helsley.

More MLB: Cardinals Shakeup Sends Star To IL, 4 Players To St. Louis

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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