The St. Louis Cardinals have a crucial decision to make with star closer Ryan Helsley this season.
Helsley’s contract ends at the end of the year, so the Cardinals would be smart to trade him away while they can extract value from him. Spotrac projects the righty to sign for $81 million in free agency, so there’s a pretty low chance the Cardinals can re-sign him in the offseason.
But St. Louis is competitive right now, sitting in the middle of a thrilling National League wild-card race. Having a star closer on the roster boosts the team a lot.
What will the Redbirds do with Helsley?
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently put together a poll of MLB executives, and they revealed that they believed the Cardinals would trade Helsley this season, especially if the team struggles in July.
“The Cardinals are in the NL Central and NL wild-card races and appear closer to being a buyer than a seller,” Bowden wrote. “However, Helsley is eligible for free agency this offseason, and St. Louis could decide trading him at the deadline for future assets makes more sense than keeping him. How the team performs in July will determine if Helsley is dealt, according to one AL GM who has talked with the Cardinals.
“Helsley, 30, has a 3.41 ERA over 29 appearances and 16 saves. Batters are hitting just .077 against his wipeout slider, although they’ve been teeing off on his 99 mph four-seamer, hitting .429 against that pitch.”
If the Cardinals do trade Helsley, three teams stick out as top landing spots: the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees.
The Phillies have long been connected to trade rumors for Helsley. They are one of the best teams in the league, but need a closer after Jose Alvarado was suspended for 80 games and the postseason.
The Dodgers have a loaded bullpen, but injuries have crushed it. If they add Helsley, they would be adding another top arm to a talented bullpen. Giving up outfielder James Outman in the return would be perfect, too.
The Yankees have a few top arms, but could look to add another. It’s more likely the Yankees would pursue a cheaper option, but don’t count them out of the Helsley sweepstakes.
More MLB: Red Sox Predicted To Cut Ties With Bounce-Back $10 Million Star
The post Cardinals Predicted To Cut Ties With $81 Million Star In Huge Trade appeared first on Newsweek.
