Cardinals $8.2 Million Star Takes Hard Stance On Future: 'Two-Way Street'

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a really weird offseason to this point.
St. Louis has been in a lot of rumors but hasn't really done anything of substance yet. The Cardinals have a few weeks to go until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training but it just has been an odd offseason.
One player who has been in trade rumors throughout the offseason is All-Star closer Ryan Helsley. At this point, the Cardinals haven't dealt him and the two sides settled on an $8.2 million deal for 2025 in his final year before free agency.
Will he stick around after the season? Well, it sounds like if he had his way he would but the two sides haven't had long-term extension talks to this point, as shared by the Belleville News-Democrat's Jeff Jones.
"Ryan Helsley said he was 'almost certain' he would be traded this winter," Jones said. "His agent called about six weeks after the end of the season to tell him he heard from Mozeliak and the Cardinals planned to hold him; Helsley, at that point, thought the call was going to be a trade.
"Part of the reason he thought that was likely: 'Never really been any talk about extensions or anything like that.' He said he'd love to stay, 'but you know, at the same time, it's a two-way street, and if only one side wants it, it's not going to work out.'"
Will the Cardinals keep Helsley around for the foreseeable future?
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