Cardinals Insider Claims Projected $81 Million Star Won't Be Back

What's next for the Cardinals with the winter quickly approaching?

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

The St. Louis Cardinals could look significantly different in 2025.

St. Louis finished in second place in the National League Central with an 83-79 record, but clearly it wasn't enough. The Cardinals missed the playoffs for the second straight season, and now there will be tough decisions to make.

The Cardinals already got the first big choice out of the way by announcing that Chaim Bloom would be taking over the team's president of baseball operations role after the 2025 season ends. Now with the winter nearing, the Cardinals will have to decide how to handle the offseason.

It's clear that the Cardinals want to trim salaries, and that could mean multiple difficult trades involving some of the top players on the team. MLB.com's John Denton joined 101ESPN The Opening Drive and mentioned star closer Ryan Helsley as a trade candidate.

"There's a lot up in the air still with the revenue streams, they don't know exactly what the TV market is going to look like next year," Denton said. "There's uncertainty there. I think once they get more clarity, they'll know more. But we don't know that. There are certain guys who aren't going to be back here. Like when Ryan Helsley is not back here next season, it's going to be incredibly painful."

Denton is one of the more tapped-in insiders around the Cardinals. If he is making a suggestion that Helsley may not be back in 2025, that probably isn't going from nothing. Helsley could be a solid trade chip because he has one more year before hitting free agency. He's projected to make just over $8 million in 2025 and then that projection balloons up to $81 million over six years afterward.

If the Cardinals aren't going to be good in 2025, there's no reason to have a star closer. It seems like his time with the team could be ending.

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