Cardinals Star 'Legit Candidate' To Be Traded; Orioles Linked To Hard-Throwing Hurler

St. Louis might have to make some hard decisions in the near future

Scott Neville | May 16, 2024

Oct 1, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) pitches / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten off to a slow start for the second consecutive season and appear to be just months away from their second fire sale in as many years.

Barring a wild turnaround, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, right-hander Andrew Kittredge, shortstop Brandon Crawford and designated hitter Matt Carpenter would all be on the trade block as impending free agents with no options attached.

Then there are a group of players with options, most of whom will be available as well. The biggest question about the Cardinals' trade deadline sale is whether or not to move star closer Ryan Helsley.

The 29-year-old would bring a bigger prospect haul than the aforementioned names but still will be under team control through the 2025 season, meaning St. Louis does not have to rush him out the door if they think it's possible to contend a year from now.

Will Helsley be on the move? There appears to be momentum moving in that direction.

"(Helsley's) been awesome for the Cardinals this year and even the past couple years as well," FanSided's Robert Murray said Wednesday on "The Baseball Insiders" show. "I think he, with the way the Cardinals are trending, could end up being a legit candidate to be moved. A team that could really make sense there is the Baltimore Orioles."

Helsley has a 1.35 ERA with a 23-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .205 batting average against and a 0.85 WHIP in 20 innings this season. Most importantly, the veteran has converted 13-of-14 save opportunities.

The Orioles have a loaded farm system that the Cardinals would be wise to poach. If St. Louis does not believe they can contend next season, they might as well get the biggest package they can for Helsley.

The right-hander will have a lot more value with 1 1/2 years of control as opposed to only a few months at next season's trade deadline.

The other option is to extend the All-Star closer -- but relievers tend to be risky extension candidates due to the volatility of the position.

More MLB: Cardinals Pitching Prospect Seen As One Of ‘Most Underrated’ In Triple-A

Published May 16, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu