Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals 2-Time All-Star 'Was A Little Surprised' He Wasn't Traded This Offseason

St. Louis isn't ready to move on from the fan favorite
Nate Hagerty|
May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals made everyone believe a significant fire sale was to occur this winter after announcing plans to shed payroll but many key assets remain.

The most significant payroll liability, 10-time Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado, hasn't found a trade suitor for which he is willing to waive his full no-trade clause. Failing to move the superstar infielder has significantly stunted the Cardinals' plans to commit to an organizational reset.

That said, a St. Louis fan favorite expected to be traded this winter isn't going anywhere. Apparently, Cardinals fans aren't alone in being surprised to see the right-handed pitcher remain with the franchise.

"So when president of baseball operations John Mozeliak called (Ryan) Helsley’s representatives at Wasserman in mid-November, he just assumed the call was to tell him he’d been traded," The Athletic's Katie Woo reported Thursday morning. "Instead, the call reflected the opposite: Mozeliak did not want to trade Helsley and intended to keep him as the Cardinals’ closer to start the 2025 season."

After setting multiple records in 2024 and being named Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year, Helsley's market value significantly increased. The two-time All-Star was due for a significant pay raise in his final year of arbitration, so many believed the Cardinals would've traded him, considering they hoped to slash payroll this winter.

“'When they publicly announced that we were going to shift gears and go a different direction, I think 99 teams out of 100 that publicly say stuff like that would probably trade most of the guys that are due for a pay raise,' Helsley said," as transcribed by Woo. “'So I was a little surprised to come back.'”

Fortunately, Cardinals fans don't have to say goodbye to the beloved flamethrower just yet. Hopefully, St. Louis can find its way back to the playoffs this season, encouraging the front office to pursue a contract extension with Helsley next offseason as he hits the free-agent market for the first time in his career.

More MLB: Find Out What Paul Goldschmidt Has To Say About Cardinals Plans To Reset In 2025

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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