Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Superstar 'Open' To Extension, Per St. Louis Insider

Will the Cardinals get a big deal done this season?
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the best closers in baseball but will that remain the case beyond the 2025 Major League Baseball season?

Ryan Helsley has spent his entire seven-year big league career in St. Louis. Over that span, he has developed into one of the game's top closers. Last year, he took home the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award after racking up 49 saves and pitching to a 2.04 ERA in 65 appearances.

There were trade rumors involving him all offseason, but the Cardinals didn't move him. There's been speculation about the possibility of flipping him at the trade deadline, but St. Louis has been good so far this season. So, what about the chance of keeping him beyond this season? He will be a free agent and surely will be highly sought-after.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold was asked about Helsley and said that he is still "open" to an extension.

"There's a lot packed into this series of questions," Goold said. "Let's try to tackle it one by one. 1) At last check, they are not, but that does not mean that the ship has passed. Helsley remains open to that conversation, and as long as he is open to it the possibility exists for the team to engage in the talks. 2) The highest paid reliever right now is around $20m, and believe you're looking at more than $16m for Helsley, so adjust the offer accordingly around a 4-year, 5th option or 5-year deal."

This doesn't mean a deal will get done, obviously. But, it at least is interesting to hear from one of the team's most prominent insiders that the superstar is at least interested in sticking around.

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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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