The Cardinals’ route is likely one of the key storylines of the offseason. The franchise has made clear they’re prioritizing the longer term whereas giving extra taking part in time to younger gamers in 2025. They’ve pushed again on preliminary chatter a couple of full teardown, at the least partially as a result of a pair veterans with no-trade clauses favor to see issues by way of in St. Louis.
Even when they’re not in an entire 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 essentially the most calls from different groups, however St. Louis has a number 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 at least one yr 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 crew a number of further months of Helsley’s companies and permit them to think about a qualifying supply when he hits free company.
Katie Woo of the Athletic wrote final week that the Cardinals had been already receiving fairly a little bit of curiosity. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Put up-Dispatch steered the Playing cards might should be “overwhelmed” to deal the righty, however they need to have the ability to weigh a number of compelling affords.
Helsley is among the many finest few relievers in MLB. He’s coming off three straight incredible seasons. Helsley broke out with a 1.25 earned run common throughout 64 2/3 innings in 2022. A forearm pressure worn out a number of months of his ’23 marketing campaign, however he posted a 2.45 ERA by way of 36 2/3 frames when in a position to take the mound. Helsley’s arm held up over a totally wholesome season this yr. He fired a career-best 66 1/3 innings with a 2.04 mark over 65 appearances.
After starting his profession in a setup position, 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 practically 30% of opposing hitters in opposition to a tolerable 8.6% stroll price. 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 type of overpowering arsenal groups need within the late innings. His four-seam fastball sits above 99 MPH. Opponents had a shocking quantity of success in opposition to that heater this yr, however the capability to achieve again for triple digit heaters makes it robust for hitters to regulate to his wipeout slider. Opponents whiffed on greater than half their swings in opposition to the Helsley slider in 2024. He obtained swinging strikes at a 17.3% clip total, a high 15 mark amongst relievers with at the least 20 innings.
Alongside Devin Williams, Helsley is considered one of this winter’s high two bullpen commerce candidates. He’d match for any contender. Groups that have already got a better may push him into the eighth inning. Golf equipment just like the Phillies, Rangers and Crimson 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 yr 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 yr.
There are some considerations. After putting out 28.6% of batters confronted in 2023, he posted a middling 21% strikeout price this yr. Romero had a way more tough time lacking bats inside the zone in 2024. That’s a difficulty 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 finest providing and served because the putaway pitch for 40 of his 51 strikeouts this yr.
As one may count on on condition that profile, Romero has been significantly better in opposition to same-handed hitters. Lefties have a .172/.267/.270 slash in opposition to 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 may be finest fitted to a situational position, however maybe one other crew feels there’s a tweak they will make to get higher manufacturing in opposition to righty hitters. Whereas Romero has elevated the utilization on his slider in each season since 2021, he nonetheless solely used it a couple of third of the time this yr.
Romero completed the yr on the injured listing as a result 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 nicely often known as 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% price this yr and has a profession price simply north of 62%. Among the many 160 relievers who threw at the least 50 innings, solely three (Tim Hill, Clay Holmes and Yennier Cano) had the next 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 below any contractual stress 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 choose Ryan Fernandez had a powerful rookie season. With 5 extra years of crew management, St. Louis most likely prefers to carry him in a leverage position. Former high prospect Matthew Liberatore seems to have discovered a house in aid. He’s additionally nonetheless controllable for 5 seasons. The Cardinals aren’t more likely to discover a suggestion that pushes them to maneuver the 25-year-old southpaw this early in his profession.
