Inside The Cardinals

Will Cardinals All-Star Have Suitor In American League?

The Cardinals are going to be very interesting to follow over the next few months...
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 CardinalsCleveland Guardians

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to continue to be mentioned in trade speculation until the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline gets here this summer.

It can’t come fast enough because some of the speculation will die down. St. Louis has mainly been talked about as a team that could potentially be a seller. This is obviously because this past offseason the Cardinals made it clear they wanted to trade players. They opted against making big moves in John Mozeliak’s last year as president of baseball operations, though.

It’s a long season. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The Cardinals haven’t had the start they wanted and currently have a 12-17 record, but still have plenty of games left. Until the deadline gets here, closer Ryan Helsley likely will be talked about a lot. For example, Zach Pressnell of Newsweek suggested the Cleveland Guardians as a potential landing spot.

"After (Emmanuel Clase) struggled in the postseason, he's yet to recover," Pressnell said. "This season, the righty has gotten off to a shockingly bad start, resulting in manager Stephen Vogt opting to take him out of the closer role for the time being.

"But this situation reminds the baseball world of the importance of relief pitching. Even the Guardians could use an additional high-leverage arm at the back end of games, and there's no better reliever expected to be on the trade market than St. Louis Cardinals star Ryan Helsley. It's important to note this idea wouldn't be to replace Clase and take him out of the closer role for good. Instead, it would be a move similar to the San Diego Padres' usage of Robert Suarez and Tanner Scott last season."

So far this season, the Guardians have a 15-13 record. They have one of the best closers in baseball already in Clase but could it still make sense to consider Helsley? Maybe. Maybe not. Clase has had a tough start to the season. None of this will matter for a few months, though, when real trade buzz kicks off around the summer.

More MLB: Cardinals 'Holding Back' Two-Time All-Star, Says MLB Writer

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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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