Cards need to decide whether trading Helsley or getting compensatory pick is better

[BrockFloodMaris]

If they're still in the race by the deadline, they're not trading Helsley.

What if, as part of the plan, the Cards acquire a lesser value closer, like the one the Rays are considering moving?

[CCard]

Or....Follow me here....Or...They could pony up and sign the best closer in baseball long term. I know it goes against everything St Louis stands for, but imagine not having to worry about closer for 5 or more years. And if things do happen to fall apart, they could always trade him sometime during that contract which would probably make him even more valuable to a team wanting him. Shocking common sense, right?

Aside from a 5 year deal being an abhorrent idea for any reliever… just because Helsley is the closer on your favorite team does not make him the best closer in baseball.

No offense, but what you perceive as common sense is nearly the exact opposite of actual common sense.

Name a better closer. Somebody is going to pay for quality, it might as well be the Cards. Do you think Helsley is just going to stop being a top quality closer?

[CCard]

Or....Follow me here....Or...They could pony up and sign the best closer in baseball long term. I know it goes against everything St Louis stands for, but imagine not having to worry about closer for 5 or more years. And if things do happen to fall apart, they could always trade him sometime during that contract which would probably make him even more valuable to a team wanting him. Shocking common sense, right?

I advised that exact thing last off-season.
Makes far more sense to extend Helsley than to trade him.
STL should have made a serious offer last fall/winter.
To the best of our knowledge, they did not.
Foolish mistake.
They should correct that error in the next month or so.
Helsley could reject an offer, but the CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION is to make a truly competitive attempt to do so.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.

Why they wouldn't want to be competitive I don't understand.

[CCard]

Or....Follow me here....Or...They could pony up and sign the best closer in baseball long term. I know it goes against everything St Louis stands for, but imagine not having to worry about closer for 5 or more years. And if things do happen to fall apart, they could always trade him sometime during that contract which would probably make him even more valuable to a team wanting him. Shocking common sense, right?

Signing a closer to a long term contract is not common sense it’s probably one of the dumbest things a team can do especially if it doesn’t have unlimited payroll. And it’s worrying every time he takes the mound this season because you never which Helsley you’re going to get

LOL...You're funny. Seriously, step away from the keyboard. Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, "Goose" Gossage, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, and others would all like a word with you.

[Ozziesfan41]

Or....Follow me here....Or...They could pony up and sign the best closer in baseball long term. I know it goes against everything St Louis stands for, but imagine not having to worry about closer for 5 or more years. And if things do happen to fall apart, they could always trade him sometime during that contract which would probably make him even more valuable to a team wanting him. Shocking common sense, right?

Signing a closer to a long term contract is not common sense it’s probably one of the dumbest things a team can do especially if it doesn’t have unlimited payroll. And it’s worrying every time he takes the mound this season because you never which Helsley you’re going to get

LOL...You're funny. Seriously, step away from the keyboard. Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, "Goose" Gossage, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, and others would all like a word with you.

lol you’re funny. step away from the keyboard. we aren’t talking old school closers we are talking modern day closers and their spin rates and lack of consistency year in and year out. The way you talk let’s say starters are a great investment because Pedro Martinez and bob Gibson and others threw 200 innings per year. You would have probably been advocating signing Rosenthal to a long term extension or motte

[Melville]

Or....Follow me here....Or...They could pony up and sign the best closer in baseball long term. I know it goes against everything St Louis stands for, but imagine not having to worry about closer for 5 or more years. And if things do happen to fall apart, they could always trade him sometime during that contract which would probably make him even more valuable to a team wanting him. Shocking common sense, right?

I advised that exact thing last off-season.
Makes far more sense to extend Helsley than to trade him.
STL should have made a serious offer last fall/winter.
To the best of our knowledge, they did not.
Foolish mistake.
They should correct that error in the next month or so.
Helsley could reject an offer, but the CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION is to make a truly competitive attempt to do so.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.

Why they wouldn't want to be competitive I don't understand.

Agreed.
Makes zero sense to not make the attempt to lock up Helsey for another 4-5 years - before he hits the open market.
Very easily done.
And would provide a level of certainty concerning one very key role, leaving them free to address other roster needs moving forward.

[82birds]

just watched the ending of the PHllies/Braves

Romano is no closer.
7.29 ERA
got the save but looked VERY IFFY.
game ended with loaded bases.
Phillies could REALLY use Helsley.

[Talkin' Baseball]

just watched the ending of the PHllies/Braves

Romano is no closer.
7.29 ERA
got the save but looked VERY IFFY.
game ended with loaded bases.
Phillies could REALLY use Helsley.

So could Boston. They are bleeding to death with late inning losses.

[CCard]

Or....Follow me here....Or...They could pony up and sign the best closer in baseball long term. I know it goes against everything St Louis stands for, but imagine not having to worry about closer for 5 or more years. And if things do happen to fall apart, they could always trade him sometime during that contract which would probably make him even more valuable to a team wanting him. Shocking common sense, right?

Signing a closer to a long term contract is not common sense it’s probably one of the dumbest things a team can do especially if it doesn’t have unlimited payroll. And it’s worrying every time he takes the mound this season because you never which Helsley you’re going to get

LOL...You're funny. Seriously, step away from the keyboard. Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, "Goose" Gossage, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, and others would all like a word with you.

lol you’re funny. step away from the keyboard. we aren’t talking old school closers we are talking modern day closers and their spin rates and lack of consistency year in and year out. The way you talk let’s say starters are a great investment because Pedro Martinez and bob Gibson and others threw 200 innings per year. You would have probably been advocating signing Rosenthal to a long term extension or motte

Just admit you're wrong and go on. Not going to argue with you about it, I posted the proof. LOL

[Carp4Cy]

There is no universe that exists where a comp pick would even come remotely close to what a bidding war could look like.

sure there is. Wacha was a comp pick.

When you make a comp pick you pick the best player out there based on your own extensive scouting and you have hundreds of options to choose from. When you trade for prospects, you get what other teams are willing to give up, and they will exclude their highest ceiling prospects and be more than willing to offer players they know have holes in their game. Once a prospect is in another teams system, they know a lot more about that player than anyone in the draft, and that knowledge can be used to beat us in a trade.

Also Helsley got little interest over the offseason for any prospects worth our time. His trade value has not risen in the mean time.

And finally, a team projected to make the playoffs cut doesn't trade away their closer, unless they are receiving MLB roster contributing talent in return.

[ICCFIM2]

you trade him for players who will help the team much sooner in years than the pick will at lower cost than RH will be over the next years. The ownerships tight hold on the wallet means they cannot blow past opportunities to get good young cheaper talent that helps next year, and not just wait for that pick to hopefully develop 5 years from now. This team has proven it will not pay for the next piece once it does one thing. So dont act like they will, and dont waste opportunities to do what needs to be done when they will not expand the budget. As posters have posted, walking the middle, not going for it and not setting up for future, pretty much gets the cards no where.

If you are suggesting the Cards trade Helsley if they can get a piece that will help next year because who knows what happens 5 years from now and they won't add when they need to, I agree and disagree. I agree they have not added when they should have, see 2022 for the most recent example. At the same time, the club is competitive this year, so trading Helsley when they have a chance doesn't make sense. They can for certain add a relief pitcher at the deadline without breaking the bank. The team may then surprise in the post season. If yes, they can qualify both Helsley and Fedde as Tank2 suggested in this thread and go from there. Sure those picks won't help for 4-5 years and maybe never. But, go with the team that has a chance.

After watching the massive payroll increases by the Mets and Dodgers, to some extent, we can't blame the Dewitt's for not wanting to compete on payroll, they can't. But, if the team is competitive like this one, they can certainly add a piece or two and hope that they come through in October. That is the likely strategy going forward forever.

[Clubmaker2]

Dodgers trade for Alexis Diaz..

.https://www.mlb.com/news/alexis-diaz-tr ... s-and-reds