The Cardinals’ course is without doubt one of the key storylines of the offseason. The franchise has made clear they’re prioritizing the long run whereas giving extra enjoying time to younger gamers in 2025. They’ve pushed again on preliminary chatter a few full teardown, a minimum of partially as a result of a pair veterans with no-trade clauses want to see issues by way of in St. Louis.
Even when they’re not in a whole rebuild, the Cardinals ought to gauge curiosity on gamers with restricted home windows of contractual management. That’s very true within the bullpen. Their star nearer will get probably the most calls from different groups, however St. Louis has a couple of relievers who may come up in talks. Projected salaries are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
- Ryan Helsley (eligible for arbitration by way of 2025, $6.9MM projected wage)
The Playing cards are down to 1 12 months of management over Helsley. In the event that they’re not all-in for 2025, he ought to transfer both this winter or at subsequent summer time’s deadline. An offseason deal would give an buying staff a couple of further months of Helsley’s companies and permit them to contemplate a qualifying supply when he hits free company.
Katie Woo of the Athletic wrote final week that the Cardinals have been already receiving fairly a little bit of curiosity. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Put up-Dispatch prompt the Playing cards might must be “overwhelmed” to deal the righty, however they need to be capable to weigh a number of compelling provides.
Helsley is among the many greatest few relievers in MLB. He’s coming off three straight improbable seasons. Helsley broke out with a 1.25 earned run common throughout 64 2/3 innings in 2022. A forearm pressure worn out a couple of months of his ’23 marketing campaign, however he posted a 2.45 ERA by way of 36 2/3 frames when capable of take the mound. Helsley’s arm held up over a very wholesome season this 12 months. He fired a career-best 66 1/3 innings with a 2.04 mark over 65 appearances.
After starting his profession in a setup function, Helsley proved himself an elite nearer this previous season. He led the majors with 49 saves whereas surrendering solely 4 leads. He paced the Nationwide League with 62 video games completed. Helsley punched out almost 30% of opposing hitters towards a tolerable 8.6% stroll charge. Going again to the beginning of the ’22 season, he carries a 1.83 ERA with an enormous 34.6% strikeout proportion by way of 167 2/3 innings.
Helsley has the form of overpowering arsenal groups need within the late innings. His four-seam fastball sits above 99 MPH. Opponents had a shocking quantity of success towards that heater this 12 months, however the capability to achieve again for triple digit heaters makes it powerful for hitters to regulate to his wipeout slider. Opponents whiffed on greater than half their swings towards the Helsley slider in 2024. He received swinging strikes at a 17.3% clip total, a high 15 mark amongst relievers with a minimum of 20 innings.
Alongside Devin Williams, Helsley is certainly one of this winter’s high two bullpen commerce candidates. He’d match for any contender. Groups that have already got a more in-depth may push him into the eighth inning. Golf equipment just like the Phillies, Rangers and Purple Sox have seen their closers hit free company. The Blue Jays, Yankees, Orioles, Royals and Diamondbacks are different potential suitors.
- JoJo Romero (eligible for arbitration by way of 2026, $1.9MM projected wage)
Romero has had a pleasant two-plus 12 months run at Busch Stadium. Acquired from the Phillies on the 2022 deadline for utility participant Edmundo Sosa, Romero has emerged as skipper Oli Marmol’s high lefty reliever. He has posted consecutive seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA, delivering a career-best 3.36 mark by way of 59 innings this 12 months.
There are some issues. After placing out 28.6% of batters confronted in 2023, he posted a middling 21% strikeout charge this 12 months. Romero had a way more troublesome time lacking bats throughout the zone in 2024. That’s a problem for a pitcher who has by no means excelled at getting batters to chase off the plate. Romero has intriguing stuff, pairing a 94 MPH sinker with a slider and changeup. The breaking ball is by far his greatest providing and served because the putaway pitch for 40 of his 51 strikeouts this 12 months.
As one may anticipate provided that profile, Romero has been a lot better towards same-handed hitters. Lefties have a .172/.267/.270 slash towards him in his profession, whereas right-handed hitters have teed off at a .280/.337/.472 clip. His 2024 platoon splits are simply as excessive. Romero is likely to be greatest suited to a situational function, however maybe one other staff feels there’s a tweak they will make to get higher manufacturing towards righty hitters. Whereas Romero has elevated the utilization on his slider in each season since 2021, he nonetheless solely used it a few third of the time this 12 months.
Romero completed the 12 months on the injured listing as a consequence of forearm irritation. The Cardinals introduced that he isn’t anticipated to require surgical procedure and will have a standard offseason. Assuming that’s the case, he ought to entice curiosity.
John King (eligible for arbitration by way of 2027, $1.5MM projected wage)
The 30-year-old King isn’t as effectively often called Helsley or Romero, however he’s coming off a pleasant season. The southpaw turned in a 2.85 ERA by way of a career-high 60 innings spanning 56 appearances. King is a pure ground-ball specialist. He stored the ball on the bottom at an enormous 61.7% charge this 12 months and has a profession charge simply north of 62%. Among the many 160 relievers who threw a minimum of 50 innings, solely three (Tim Hill, Clay Holmes and Yennier Cano) had a better grounder proportion.
King doesn’t miss bats, however he’s a situational lefty who ought to attraction to groups seeking to deepen their center aid group. (The Yankees make for a speculative match contemplating New York’s love of relievers with plus grounder charges.) King is cheaply controllable for an additional three seasons and has held left-handed batters to a .250/.300/.320 slash over 308 profession plate appearances. Whereas the Cardinals aren’t underneath any contractual strain to deal him, this isn’t the kind of participant that St. Louis would refuse to entertain in commerce talks. If the Playing cards may pull a mid-level prospect or two, King might be on the transfer.
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The Playing cards have two different bullpen arms who’d entice curiosity, although they’re much less more likely to transfer. Rule 5 decide Ryan Fernandez had a powerful rookie season. With 5 extra years of staff management, St. Louis most likely prefers to carry him in a leverage function. Former high prospect Matthew Liberatore appears to have discovered a house in aid. He’s additionally nonetheless controllable for 5 seasons. The Cardinals aren’t more likely to discover a proposal that pushes them to maneuver the 25-year-old southpaw this early in his profession.
