Although the St. Louis Cardinals haven’t made it to the playoffs over the last three seasons, there have been a few positive takeaways from the organization.
Over the last two seasons, specifically, the Cardinals have actually done a good job building their bullpen. The Cardinals had the seventh-best bullpen ERA in 2024 at 3.64 and the 10th-best bullpen ERA in 2025 at 3.74. Even when the offense hasn’t been clicking or the rotation has struggled, the bullpen has been consistently good over the last two years.
One guy who played a big role in this was Ryan Helsley. He won the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award in 2024 with a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves. In 2025, he had a 3.00 ERA in 36 appearances and 21 saves before he was traded to the New York Mets.
After Helsley was traded to the Mets, he struggled with a 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances. That absolutely crushed his value ahead of free agency. Helsley seemed to be in line for a lucrative, multi-year deal, but the vibe has shifted. Britton projected a one-year deal and that should be music to St. Louis’ ears.
Back around the trade deadline, Helsley made it clear that he would be open to a return in free agency. If he’s actually only going to get a one-year deal, that would make sense for him because he could go out and rebuild his value before entering free agency again at 32 years old. For St. Louis, a deal would make sense it already knows what it would have in Helsley. The Cardinals would get someone who has been the best reliever in the league as a member of the organization.
Plus, with the uncertainty around baseball for the 2027 season and beyond, a one-year deal would help the 2026 team without any long-term, financial commitment. Now, this is a projection for Helsley, but Britton’s contract projections are respected around the league.
St. Louis should absolutely give Helsley a call.
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