Former Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is scuffling in the Big Apple

Selling pieces off at the trade deadline is still a relatively foreign notion for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. But as the Cardinals entered the trade deadline buried in the standings, most fans agreed that trading their star closer, Ryan Helsley, was the correct action to take. The Cardinals obliged, dealing Helsley to the New York Mets for prospects Jesus Baez and Nate Dohm as well as throw-in piece Frank Elissalt.

Helsley had not been repeating his astounding 2024 season, where he had a major league-leading 49 saves and owned a 2.04 ERA, but he was still respectable in his role and had spent the early part of the season with an altered, less effective delivery thanks to a protective item in his foot that was placed there after he had felt pain in his toe.

Helsley's down 2025 season when compared with 2024 may have deflated his trade value a bit, and it's far too early to know how the trade will pan out for the Cardinals. But the Mets, who pushed in all of their chips in an attempt to compete for a title, and whom many reporters named among the "winners" of the deadline, have been in a freefall since the start of August, and Helsley's performance has not helped matters.

Helsley's pitching with the Mets has not been up to snuff thus far.

Helsley has made five appearances with the Mets, and he has surrendered six hits and three earned runs in four innings. It's worth noting that he is not serving as the Mets' closer; that role belongs to Edwin Diaz. The Mets have lost all five games that Helsley has pitched in, although he did receive the honor of throwing the fastest pitch in the Mets' Statcast era on Aug. 9, when he unleashed a 103.8 mph fastball — prior to coughing up a two-run home run.

There have already been some dissatisfied rumblings among Mets fans regarding Helsley, and if his struggles continue, it's not hard to imagine the savage New York media getting in on the action.

Cardinals fans should feel for Helsley, who wanted more than anything to remain in St. Louis. He was the Cardinals' longest-tenured player prior to the trade, and he even left the door open for a potential reunion with the Cardinals following the 2025 season, assuming the Mets don't offer him a contract extension. However, if the problems persist, the Cardinals may not be amenable to re-signing the fireballing closer.

A professional from head to toe during his time with the Cardinals, Helsley has spoken about how grateful he is toward the franchise and how much it meant to him to wear the birds on the bat. Mets fans may not be happy with his performance, but Helsley's loyalty and dedication to the Cardinals, not to mention some excellent seasons at the back end of the bullpen have earned him eternal respect in Cardinals Nation.