As the Cardinals prepare for a 2025 reset centered around younger talent, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, John Denton, and Bryan Hoch report that the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks have expressed interest in closer Ryan Helsley. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 notes that while the D-Backs are indeed interested, the Cardinals appear hesitant to trade Helsley.
This aligns with an earlier report suggesting that St. Louis is unlikely to move Helsley this offseason, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak indicating plans to keep the All-Star closer for 2025. Given the demand for elite relief pitching at the trade deadline, the Cardinals could still secure a significant return for Helsley next summer if he maintains his 2024 form (2.04 ERA, 49 saves, 29.7% strikeout rate) and the team isn’t in playoff contention.
The Cardinals’ reluctance to deal Helsley is unsurprising, considering his stellar performance in recent years. Since 2022, the 30-year-old has posted a 1.83 ERA, 82 saves, and a 34.6% strikeout rate over 167 2/3 innings, cementing his status as one of the league’s most dominant relievers. Such a profile could fetch a hefty return, even with just one year of team control, as seen when the Brewers traded Devin Williams to the Yankees for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin.
Arizona’s interest in Helsley aligns with their offseason focus on bolstering their bullpen after losing Paul Sewald to free agency. The Diamondbacks’ current late-inning options—Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk, and Kevin Ginkel—are solid, but adding a proven closer like Helsley would significantly strengthen their relief corps. Arizona’s pursuit of Helsley comes after reports of their prior interest in Devin Williams before his trade to New York.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are looking to address multiple roster needs after finishing last in the AL East in 2024. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entering his final year of team control, Toronto aims to improve their lineup, rotation, and bullpen. Following the non-tendering of longtime closer Jordan Romano, the Jays currently project to rely on Chad Green and Yimi García in the late innings. Acquiring a high-caliber closer like Helsley could stabilize their bullpen, which struggled with the second-worst ERA and the worst FIP in baseball last season.
While Helsley remains a prime target, both teams have other options for strengthening their bullpens. Free-agent closers like Kenley Jansen, Kirby Yates, and David Robertson could offer more affordable, short-term solutions, while relievers such as Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, Paul Sewald, José Leclerc, and Chris Martin are also available to bolster late-inning roles.
Be the first to comment