Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals have spent the last two weeks trying to wrap their heads around an apparently inevitable rebuild. After years of slow and steady decline (capped by another missed postseason in 2024), the organization overhauled its player development system, and lame-duck president John Mozeliak informed anybody who would listen that St. Louis wanted to focus on being younger and slimmer in the future.
Which, while awful, made an unsettling amount of logic. The Cardinals’ foundation had been showing flaws for a while, and rather than trying to cover them up with a free-agent spending spree, why not take a tiny step back in the short term to prepare for the long future? The current core was clearly inadequate, and with no clear path to quick contention, it was difficult to argue against the notion that a reset was necessary.
Of course, the problem with that strategy is the same as with the prior one: the individual carrying it out. While the Cardinals are clearly ready to move on from Mozeliak, ownership curiously allowed him another season at the helm, and he appears determined to accomplish as little with it as possible. It’s one thing to admit that you can’t field a competitive team anymore. But if you insist on a rebuild, you have to follow through – and it appears that Mozeliak is failing to do so.
It sounds like the Cardinals aren’t trading closer Ryan Helsley after all
While there has been much discussion about high-priced veterans such as Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, closer Ryan Helsley is unquestionably the team’s best trade asset. The 30-year-old is coming off one of his greatest seasons yet, leading the Majors with 49 saves, and he’s about to enter his final year under team control. Given that Helsley is due to earn $8.5 million in arbitration in 2025, and that closer isn’t exactly a priority for a team without World Series hopes, trading him to a contender while his value is at its peak seems like a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, Mozeliak does not appear to view it that way. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, “teams talking to the Cardinals are under the impression the team will hold Helsley,” with Mozeliak himself noting “it’s something we will always remain open-minded to, but our plan is to have him be part of our organization.”
Maybe all of this is just pre-Winter Meetings posturing; if Mozeliak hasn’t received an offer he likes yet, signaling to other teams that St. Louis may just hang on to Helsley is a decent way to gain some power. But Cardinals fans better hope that’s the case, because if it isn’t, this is an unacceptable breach of duty. Helsley has had injury problems in the past, and relievers are notoriously inconsistent from year to year. If St. Louis keeps him with the intention of trading him at the trade deadline if necessary, the team risks an injury or a disappointing month or two, which might lower his market.
Helsley’s worth will never be better than it is today, with a full year of control following a successful season. It’s evident that he won’t be part of the Cardinals’ next great squad, and while there are back-end choices available in free agency, some team will undoubtedly give up something valuable for a season of lockdown closing work. That is, assuming Mozeliak is prepared to let them.
