The St. Louis Cardinals are seemingly entering a rebuild this season. They’ve already let a lot of different veterans walk in free agency. Now, they could look to trade the likes of Nolan Arenado and Ryan Helsley.
Helsley, a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, seems quite likely to be traded this season. Spotrac projects the Cardinals closer will sign for $81 million next off-season.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently projected that the Cardinals would trade Helsley before he lands in free agency. Miller suggested the righty will end the season with the Texas Rangers after being brought over in a huge trade.
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“Helsley Ends Season With: Texas Rangers,” Miller wrote. “Among the projected contenders, Texas has the biggest question mark at closer. It’s surprising the Rangers didn’t do more about that this offseason, but they could address it in July.”
The Rangers were a contending team in 2023 but fell off the map in 2024. They have quite a bit of talent, especially with Jacob deGrom returning at full strength for a full season.
But Texas watched as Kirby Yates betrayed the team for a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, the Rangers are left without a closer.
Acquiring Helsley would be a huge step in the right direction for Texas. The righty led the entire league in saves in 2024 despite playing on a struggling Cardinals team.
Helsley would likely be able to replicate his success as a member of the Rangers. It may be a bit costly to bring him to Texas, but it would likely prove worth it.
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