St. Louis Cardinals' All-Star closer Ryan Helsley opens up about potential extension

The longest-tenured player on the St. Louis Cardinals is none other than All-Star closer Ryan Helsley. Helsley, 30, was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, and he's entering his tenth year with the ball club. No other player on the roster has been with the team longer than Helsley has been.

Helsley was one of the offseason's best trade candidates on the backs of his All-Star appearance and league-leading 49 saves in 2024. He is on an expiring contract, so he'll be a free agent after the 2025 season. With the Cardinals not actively trying to contend and Helsley's increased salary via arbitration didn't exactly fit with what ownership was aiming to do this winter.

However, the Cardinals and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak instead opted to hold onto Ryan Helsley and keep him as their closer for the time being. In early December, Mozeliak made this very clear. "It's something we will always remain open-minded to, but our plan is to have him be part of our organization." This quote came on the heels of Mozeliak calling Helsley's representatives at Wasserman to let them know that the right-handed fireballer wouldn't be going anywhere.

So, what does a non-contending team do with one of baseball's best relievers in a "transition" season? Perhaps an extension is in order. At least Ryan Helsley would be open to one.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Ryan Helsley are not on the same page when it comes to extension talks.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Helsley is more than open to signing a multi-year agreement to stay with the Cardinals. "I would love to stay here. Cardinals baseball, you think of winning baseball, so surely they’re not going to try to be average or below average for too long. Hopefully, I can pitch at a high level for four or five more years.”

The Cardinals, however, are not as open about wanting to keep their veteran closer for the long term. Chaim Bloom will supplant longtime POBO John Mozeliak after this year. The Cardinals also have several pricey veterans leaving via free agency this winter. A clean payroll and tidy roster will give Bloom ample space to put his personal touch on the organization. He may want to keep Helsley as a stabilizing force in the bullpen. He could also desire to place a young pitcher like Tink Hence, Gordon Graceffo, or even Ryan Fernandez in the closer role for a much lesser price tag.

Helsley himself said that talks regarding an extension have not yet occurred. "With changes in leadership coming up, I feel like they’ve probably just decided to keep this as is and see what happens," said Helsley. "Maybe at the end of the season there will be something, but as of right now there’s been nothing.”

An extension for Helsley would be a bit tricky. He's entering his age-30 season, and he's solidified himself as a reliever at this point in his career. Contracts given to past free agent relievers like Josh Hader of the Houston Astros and Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets would be good high-end points on an extension. The extension given to Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians would be a low-end figure given the fact that Clase had many arbitration years bought out.

Redbird Rants' site editor Josh Jacobs proposed a five-year, $75 million deal that could become a six-year deal worth $92 million if a mutual option is exercised in 2030. This proposal by Josh included a buyout of Helsley's final arbitration year in 2025. Since Helsley and the Cardinals agreed on a one-year, $8.2 million salary for 2025, the numbers in Josh's proposal would have to be shifted slightly. Regardless, this is a fine starting point for an extension.

If Ryan Helsley is extending beyond 2025, the club should look at converting him back to being a starting pitcher. Helsley was once a starting pitcher in the minors, and from 2015 through 2017, he had an ERA below 2.72 each year, and batters hit just .221 with a 582 OPS against him. Adding a third pitch, perhaps a curveball, would go a long way in assisting Helsley as a starting pitcher.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Ryan Helsley are at odds regarding a contract extension beyond 2025. However, keeping the longest-tenured member of the club with the team for the long term has ample benefits for both Helsley and the organization. He could become a wily veteran for young players as they rise through the system, and he could join the ranks of several of lifetime Cardinals down the road.