Mets Advised To Deal For Cardinals' Estimated $8.1M Homegrown Star

What will the Cardinals do with the star hurler?

Sep 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third base Nolan Arenado (28) and relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrate defeating the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The New York Mets seem like a team ready to have a massive offseason.

New York's payroll is outrageous but is much more manageable heading into the 2025 season. The Mets had a lot of money come off the books once the 2024 season ended and it also doesn't hurt that they have the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen.

The Mets are trying to sign Juan Soto right now, but once that sweepstakes ends, there surely will be a lot of other moves coming to the Mets. New York has the money to spend to land multiple top-tier superstars in free agency. The Mets also have a solid farm system and could pull off trades.

New York made a deeper-than-expected playoff run in 2024 and the future is bright now. This is the offseason to pull off big moves for them. FanSided' Tim Boyle made a list of three St. Louis Cardinals players the Mets shouldn't pursue and two that they should. One player Boyle advised the Mets to consider landing is star closer Ryan Helsley.

"It might be tough for the Mets to convince some of the top free agent relievers with closer experience to sign a deal," Boyle said. "The alternative is to make a trade. Last year’s closer for the Cardinals, Ryan Helsley, would be a dream addition. He saved a league-leading 49 games with a 2.04 ERA. His first full year as the team’s ninth-inning man, he’d be the perfect setup man and Edwin Díaz alternative for any period when the current Mets closer gets himself into trouble or Carlos Mendoza has a preference for a different matchup.

"We know Helsley best from this most recent season but he has been good for several. He pitched to a 1.25 ERA in 2022 and delivered a 2.45 ERA performance in 2023—a year where he missed about half the year."

Helsley has been mentioned in almost consistent trade rumors. The Mets are expected to be aggressive this offseason. New York already has a closer in Edwin Díaz so it's somewhat of a tough fit, but the Mets seem like they could do anything this offseason. Helsley won't cost much financially in 2025, but would bring back a haul prospect-wise.

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