Will the Cardinals swing a deal involving the star?

The St. Louis Cardinals have a big decision to make in the very near future.

St. Louis has a handful of stars that have been mentioned in trade rumors. At this point, it seems like superstar closer Ryan Helsley may end up being the most likely option to be moved. He had a career year in 2024 and logged a league-leading 49 saves. Helsley also had a 2.04 ERA in 65 total appearances.

Helsley is a fantastic reliever, but the Cardinals don’t necessarily need him if they don’t think they can make a run at a playoff spot in 2025. Because of this, FanSided’s Zach Pressnell predicted that he won’t be back with the team.

“Out of all the players that have been pitched to be trade candidates this winter, it’s Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley that jumps off the page at you,” Pressnell said. “Helsley would draw interest from all 29 teams in the league as bringing in a star closer like him is almost invaluable for big league teams. Last season, we saw Tanner Scott and Carlos Estevez traded for huge prospect hauls.

“Helsley is arguably much better than these two arms while also having an additional half-season on his contract compared to the other two closers…Helsley, 30, has posted ERAs of 2.04, 2.45, and 1.25 over the last three seasons respectively. He appeared in a career-high 65 games while recording a career-high 49 saves in 2024…For the Cardinals, it would make sense to move him.”