Royals Could Target Cardinals Closer To Continue Rise To Contention In 2025
The Kansas City Royals are headed to the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series back in 2015. They will enter the postseason as the second American League Wild Card after finishing 86-76.
They will open up the Wild Card Series on Tuesday against the 91-71 Baltimore Orioles. But after this season, they could attempt to bolster their bullpen for 2025.
The St. Louis Cardinals are likely to trade closer Ryan Helsley as part of a retool this coming offseason. Perhaps the Royals could target the All-Star closer and pluck him away from their Missouri state rivals.
Helsley broke the single season Cardinals franchise record with 49 saves this season, but he is in the final year of his contract with St. Louis, and they are unlikely to be able to re-sign him after 2025.
While the Cardinals are trending downwards, the Royals are trending upwards and are ready to enter a window of contention. They already have a strong starting rotation while also having a strong offense led by Bobby Witt Jr., who is an MVP candidate.
The Royals could certainly benefit from having an All-Star closer in their bullpen. He and current closer Lucas Erceg could form a solid back-end duo, which will give the Royals a significant edge late in games.
The Royals certainly have plenty of young players they could give the Cardinals if they want Helsley. The asking price will be high, so it will be interesting to see if Kansas City can meet the Cardinals demands in potential trade talks.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.