Cardinals' big trade deadline haul keeps looking better and better

The St. Louis Cardinals had ample opportunities to trade two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley. They opted to hold on to him at the 2024 deadline in hopes of making a late-season playoff push. He wasn't traded at the 2024 deadline, and instead of helping the club make the postseason, Helsley set a single-season save record for the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis once again held on to its closer this past offseason. Despite being in a stated transition period where competition wasn't going to take priority, John Mozeliak was adamant that he would keep Helsley during the offseason to help the team still appear competitive. That plan fell apart about halfway through the year, and the Cardinals hit the reset button at the deadline, trading away three relievers on expiring contracts in Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton.

In return for Helsley's services, the Cardinals acquired INF Jesus Baez, RHP Nate Dohm, and RHP Frank Elissalt. Baez immediately joined the Cardinals' top 10 prospects as the seventh-best youngster in the system. Dohm (#17) joined him in the top 30, while Elissalt wasn't listed as a top-30 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

Ryan Helsley has struggled in New York, to say the least. Since being acquired at the deadline, Helsley has pitched 11 innings across 14 appearances. He has an 11.45 ERA, and he's allowed three home runs in a third of the innings he threw with the Cardinals, where he allowed four long balls. Helsley has blown four saves, walked eight batters, and given up 14 earned runs with the Mets. It hasn't gone well for the two-time All-Star.

Ryan Helsley's struggles since the trade deadline make the return for him all the better for the Cardinals.

The three prospects the Cardinals received for Helsley weren't top-100 prospects in baseball. In fact, they weren't even some of the best prospects for the Mets. However, getting three young players with promise is still impressive given Helsley's underwhelming metrics at the time and his limited team control — Helsley is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.

Since being traded, Jesus Baez is slashing .245/.308/.340 with five extra base hits in 104 plate appearances for High-A Peoria. He's walked nine times and struck out 23 times. His offense has left some to be desired, but his ability to play across the infield is admirable. He's still only 20 years old, so he still has ample time to develop.

Nate Dohm has been monitored closely due to a history of arm injuries. His workload was limited with the Mets, and that trend has continued with the Cardinals. Dohm has a 5.11 ERA in only 12.1 innings with High-A Peoria. He's struck out 13 batters while walking nine. Most of Dohm's ERA is being affected by a four-run outing against the Dayton Dragons on August 19th, when he went only 2.1 innings. He's allowed only three runs in the other 10 innings he's pitched.

Frank Elissalt has not pitched well so far for the Cardinals; he has a 7.04 ERA through only 7.2 innings this year. He's struck out only four batters while walking seven at High-A Peoria. He did, however, pitch well in Low-A for the Mets, with a 3.02 ERA through 50.2 innings earlier this year.

The Cardinals received three prospects with varying ceilings and skillsets. While some fans would have preferred more MLB-ready prospects for Ryan Helsley, netting these three youngsters is still impressive. Helsley's collapse in New York makes the return look even better.