Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Viable Trade Chip 'Would Love To Stay' With St. Louis Long-Term

St. Louis might soon part ways with the fan favorite
Nate Hagerty|
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 opened the second half of their 2025 season with a 1-4 record and are slowly increasing their chances of selling before the July 31 trade deadline.

After being swept in a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks this past weekend, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak revealed that trade interest in several St. Louis players has "picked up rapidly."

Mozeliak will likely wait till the final three days before the deadline to decide whether to part ways with several feasible Cardinals trade chips, including a fan favorite who isn't interested in leaving St. Louis anytime soon.

"Three of the Cardinals' relievers — All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, setup man Phil Maton and swingman lefty Steven Matz — are all free agents at season’s end and have drawn varying degrees of interest from other teams," The Athletic's Derrick Goold reported Tuesday night. “'I would love to stay here long-term, but I also understand teams have to look at the return,' Helsley said. 'You see both sides of it as a fan of the game and also as a player. If we traded someone and we get the return that helps the organization down the road or we can get someone to make a deeper push this year. It’s hard to make the postseason every year, so you want that chance.'”

Helsley has posted a 3-1 record with a 3.18 ERA, 37-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .260 batting average against and a 1.41 WHIP in 34 innings pitched for St. Louis in 2025.

The two-time All-Star will become a free agent for the first time in his seven-year career this upcoming offseason but with the Cardinals rebuilding, it might not make sense for the franchise to re-sign Helsley, whose market value could be high.

However, there's a decent chance St. Louis will hold onto the 2024 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year through the rest of this year. By retaining Helsley this summer, the Cardinals could extend a qualifying offer to him for 2026 in the upcoming offseason and potentially receive a valuable draft pick if he declines the proposal.

More MLB: Mets 'Could Be' Where Ex-Yankees Hurler Is Traded If Cardinals Become Sellers

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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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