The St. Louis Cardinals are in a transitional period where they’re supposed to be rebuilding but are struggling to because of several remaining veterans with expensive contracts.
For instance, three-time All-Stars Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray invoked their full no-trade clauses this past offseason, preventing the Cardinals from shopping their contracts — both have at least $50 million remaining on each of their deals.
After Helsley’s record-breaking campaign in 2024, several experts predicted his stock value could skyrocket to $100 million. Despite this, the Cardinals failed to trade the fireballer — missing a golden opportunity to help replenish their farm system.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will have an immensely difficult decision to make if St. Louis is competitive at this summer’s trade deadline — whether to shop Helsley or retain him for a potential deep playoff run.
If the Cardinals don’t move Helsley this summer, they run the risk of missing out on his potentially high trade value. Considering that St. Louis is looking to rebuild, it would seem foolish to retain the 2024 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year until this season ends.
There’s almost no chance the Cardinals would pay nearly nine figures for Helsley next offseason, regardless of how well he performs in 2025. It’ll sting but the best course of action for St. Louis regarding the 30-year-old’s future is to trade him this summer.
