Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Homegrown Superstar ‘Could Shape’ MLB Trade Deadline

The Cardinals have one of the biggest stars to watch out for...
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 are fortunate to have one of the most dominant closers in Major League Baseball right now.

St. Louis flamethrower Ryan Helsley has spent his entire seven year big league career with the Cardinals after being selected in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. He made his big league debut in 2019. Helsley took a bit to get his feet fully under him, but he's been one of the best overall relievers in baseball over the last four years.

So far this season he has a 3.00 ERA in 21 appearances to go along with a 13 saves. Last year, he had a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves in 65 outings. In 2023, he had a 2.45 ERA in 33 outings. In 2022, he had a 1.25 ERA in 54 appearances.

Helsley is going to be a free agent at the end of the season. Will he stick around with the club throughout the rest of the campaign and maybe beyond? Or will the Cardinals attempt to flip him this summer ahead of the trade deadline?

He's going to be one of the biggest names to watch out for and The Athletic's Chad Jennings even listed him on his list of players who "could shape" the upcoming MLB trade deadline.

"St. Louis Cardinals," Jennings said. "Ryan Helsley. Closer. Helsley has been an obvious trade candidate since Opening Day. He’s an All-Star closer approaching free agency, and the Cardinals came into the season openly in rebuild mode. The last thing a rebuilding team needs is a walk-year closer. But the Cardinals are winning, and their run differential — ninth-best in the majors — suggests it’s not a fluke. So, now what? Helsley hasn’t been nearly as good as last year, but every contender would love to have Helsley’s 99 mph fastball in their bullpen. The contender that needs him most just might be the Cardinals."

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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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