ramfandan wrote: ↑21 May 2025 06:48 am
Certainly appears Cardinals are not going to retain Helsley for big $$$ as they have reduced payroll. So if not, they have two options.
The first is trading Helsley at the trade deadline. Currently , that option gets the most attention .
The other option is keeping Helsley thru the end of 2025 season , allowing him to go to free agency , and receiving a compensation pick. At least at this point, that option has gotten minor attention .
On the surface, the compensation choice does not strike most fans as the better option . One must dig a bit deeper though. The compensation picks are tiered by the amount of $$ the signing player receives with his new team. (Spotrac project that Helsley contract would be $81 M range which would place the choice after Round 1 ) Example: Last year the Brewers knew they were not going to re-sign SS Willy Adames for his $$ would be way too high for their payroll. They could have traded him at the deadline or get the compensation pick. Knowing he would get in the highest comp pick bracket ($50 + M contract ), the Brewers took the pick . It was the 34th pick in the draft.
So one would expect the Cardinals could get a pick somewhere in that range too as Helsley signing will be in the top level tier too.
The Cardinals front office Mo /Bloom will weigh are the packages offered better or taking a high level pick the route to go .
Would guess Mo is going to listen closely to Bloom as it would be Bloom's ballclub for the future. He is building the team . Remember , the Cardinals Randy Flores in 2020 drafted Masyn Winn in the 2nd round with the 54th pick. Look at the player he is now.
As I alone correctly analyzed and predicted before the season even began, there is a better than 50% chance (and increasing day by day) that Super Slo Mo will retain both Helsley and Fedde at the deadline.
Remember, I know Mo better than Mo knows Mo.
When others were clamoring for to be traded in the off-season, I alone perfectly understood and explained Mo's thinking.
Recall that Mo refused to call 2025 a "rebuild" - and preferred the word "reset".
Recall that he said he believed in the team and wanted to see what it could so.
Other than N/A refusing to report then traded to Houston, the roster was what Mo wanted.
I said very clearly that Mo wanted to wait until July concerning Helsley and Fedde - and would likely keep both if the Cardinals were within a few games of the division lead.
Why?
Mo wants to feel vindicated in his last year.
He is not going to simply throw away a chance to get into the playoffs if he sees a pathway.
And DeWitt will back him up for the exact same reason.
Which means if STL stays close to the division lead 6 or 7 weeks from now, Helsley and Fedde will almost certainly stay right where they are.
Mo will, of course, continue his 2-year crusade of attempting to move Arenado, and if the starting staff remains healthy Matz will be shopped as well.
Mo has a couple of spare relievers and a couple of position players in Memphis who could be packaged with either of those two.
But, though everyone here and in the media could not see it, I realized long ago that the Helsley and Fedde decisions were made many months ago.
They will stay if the standings dictate it.
Keep reading.
Keep learning.