Cardinals 'Smartest Decision' For Offseason Involves $80 Million Fan Favorite

Should St. Louis trade its best reliever this winter?

Mar 3, 2017; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals hats and gloves on the steps of the dugout in the game against the Washington Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are entering a transitional phase that could take several years and they're expected to shop significant talent this winter to kickstart a rebuild.

After years of neglecting player development, the Cardinals' inability to produce and retain homegrown stars has finally caught up to them.

Now, St. Louis must face the sad reality that it'll likely have to shop several fan favorites to help advance its rebuilding efforts. Unfortunately, the Cardinals' top reliever might be a necessary trade chip.

"For St. Louis, dealing (Ryan) Helsley would hurt, but it would be the smartest decision to make," FanSided's Zach Pressnell wrote Saturday when discussing potentially wise trade candidates for the Cardinals this upcoming offseason.

Helsley logged a 7-4 record with a 2.04 ERA, 79-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .210 batting average against and a 1.10 WHIP in 66 1/3 innings pitched for the Cardinals this season while recording 49 saves -- setting the all-time single-season record for St. Louis and finishing 2024 with the most closeouts of any closing pitcher.

"Because of this, Helsley would garner a huge return of prospects that would help kickstart this rebuild in the best possible way," Pressnell continued. "Helsley is set to enter free agency in 2026, so St. Louis could even look to bring him back after they trade him away."

According to Spotrac, the 30-year-old flamethrower is entering his final year of arbitration and has a projected market value of roughly $80 million over a six-year deal. With the Cardinals committed to cutting costs for 2025 while not focusing on building the best big-league roster possible, it makes sense to ship Helsley elsewhere.

As previously mentioned, it could be a while before St. Louis is competitive again and holding onto one of the best closers in the game seems like a waste of resources. Although trading Helsley won't be well-received among the frustrated Cardinals fan base, it might be necessary to help the franchise move forward.

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