Predicting the fates of 7 Cardinals players, 2 coaches, and 1 executive after 2024

The 2025 offseason is bound to be one of flux for the St. Louis Cardinals. The process of change has already started, as Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque has already announced that he'll retire at the end of the season. LaRocque likely won't be the only executive to go at the end of the season.

The Cardinals also have several players who are either free agents at the end of the season or who have options on their 2025 contracts. The Cardinals will get to choose to accept their team options, but they'll have to contend against other teams to bring back other free agents.

Due to the team having back-to-back losing seasons, it's also plausible that at least one coach departs at the end of the season.

Ryan Helsley will be traded this offseason.

There were whispers at this year's trade deadline that the Cardinals were shopping their closer, Ryan Helsley. Helsley has been at or near the top of the league in save totals all year, and he's been a shutdown reliever for the bulk of the season for the Cardinals. In fact, he's played in 55 of the team's 77 wins this year. His 45 saves rank second only to Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, and he leads the National League with that figure.

He has a 2.15 ERA, 2.53 FIP, and a 1.149 WHIP. He's struck out 29% of the batters he's faced while walking only 9% of them. Helsley has been dominant out of the bullpen, and he's salvaged many close games, something the Cardinals have been quite familiar with this year.

If Helsley has been so good, why would the Cardinals trade him? I've even been an advocate for the Cardinals to build him back up as a starting pitcher for next year.

The Cardinals should trade Helsley because his value is so high right now. He's one of the two best closers in baseball, his stuff is electric, and he has a history of being a starting pitcher should a team want to explore that role for him.

Relievers can be fickle; pitchers get hurt often. Keeping Helsley and assuming that he will remain both elite and healthy is a gamble. If the Cardinals can squeeze a top prospect out of him or a position player that fills a need, they should absolutely do that. JoJo Romero, Matthew Liberatore, and Andrew Kittredge --assuming he's retained next year (more on that later) -- could all be closers via committee for the team in 2025.