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New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
What we're hearing about the MLB trade deadline: Ryan Helsley, the Rockies and the relief market
What we're hearing about the MLB trade deadline is a collection of news and notes from our reporting team of Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal. If Ryan Helsley had it his way, he'd be a St. Louis Cardinal for life. The Cardinals closer is no stranger to trade speculation. Rumors regarding his future have swirled since last October, when the team first announced they'd be taking steps back and focusing on the future. He maintained then, just as he maintains now, that he wants to stay in St. Louis. Advertisement But now, with less than a week remaining before the trade deadline, Helsley understands the writing is on the wall. 'It's a little bit different this time,' Helsley acknowledged. 'The likelihood is probably as great as it's ever been for me to get traded.' The Cardinals entered play Thursday one game above .500, 9 1/2 games out of the National League Central and 3 1/2 games out of the final NL wild card spot. They stumbled out of the break and went 1-5 on their most recent road trip — which included being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks and dropping two of three games to the dismal Colorado Rockies. Manager Oli Marmol described Wednesday's game, a 6-0 shutout loss to Colorado, as 'the worst game we've played all season.' That should signal sell time in St. Louis, but the club has not yet publicly declared whether it will actually do so.. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged earlier in the week the standings will ultimately force his deadline decision. The Cardinals rarely sell — they have done so just one time in Mozeliak's nearly two-decade long stint atop the organization. But all signs point towards a soft sell-off in Mozeliak's final season. 'From a front office perspective, I think they saw what they wanted to see,' Helsley said. 'Do you sell, where this is a two or three-year rebuild? Or do you just solely take this as a rebuild year? 'There are so many different scenarios you can do. But I want to stay here. I want to help us win here, with the Cardinals.' Moving Helsley, who will be a first-time free agent at the end of the season, seems unavoidable. The Cardinals elected to hold on to Helsley coming into the year, a decision that baffled rival executives at the time. Now several of those same executives are speed-dialing Mozeliak, eager to deal for one of baseball's top closers. At least five teams have inquired with varying degrees of interest, league sources said. Advertisement Helsley's value is not nearly as high as it was in the winter. Some of that is to be expected, as an acquiring team would gain just two months of control. But there is also at least some underlying concern regarding how hard he's been hit this season. Helsley owns one of the most powerful fastballs in the sport, but opposing hitters are teeing off on it this year, posting a .415 average and a .538 slugging percentage. Still, contending teams want firepower, and relief pitching is always coveted this time of year. Helsley and the Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase look to be the top closers available, leaving Helsley counting down the days. 'I would say it's 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay,' Helsley said. The Colorado Rockies are listening to trade offers for reliever Victor Vodnik, but the asking price is high, league sources said. Similarly, the Rockies would entertain calls on reliever Seth Halvorsen, but would want a big return. Each pitcher is under club control for a handful of seasons. Vodnik, 25, isn't a free agent until after the 2029 season. Halvorsen, also 25, doesn't reach free agency until after the 2030 season. In the past, the Rockies have been reluctant to move pitchers with multiple years left before free agency, though they did flip reliever Nick Mears to the Milwaukee Brewers last season for Bradley Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera. If Colorado were to trade any of their relievers with club control, rival teams suggested Jake Bird as the likeliest to go. The Athletic previously reported the Rockies' willingness to listen to offers for Bird. Vodnik, whose four-seam fastball averages 98.5 mph, has a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings this season with 30 strikeouts and 17 walks. Last year, he racked up 73 2/3 innings posting a a 4.28 ERA with nine saves. Halvorsen, who has nine saves this season, is another hard-thrower with a four-seam fastball averaging 100.1 mph. In 37 2/3 innings, he has a 5.02 ERA with 35 strikeouts against 18 walks. (Photo of Ryan Helsley: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals second-half storylines to watch, starting with the trade deadline
We blinked, and the first half of the St. Louis Cardinals' season came and went. Despite preseason projections expecting the worst for this transitioning ball club, the Cardinals went 51-46 and will enter play Friday just 1 1/2 games out of the last National League wild-card spot. There are 65 regular-season games remaining, but the next couple of weeks could dictate the Cardinals' year. Will the organization attempt to make a playoff push? Or will it concede come the trade deadline and focus on 2026 and beyond? Advertisement Welcome to the second half. We can't predict ball, but we know one thing: It won't be boring. Here's what to watch as the Cardinals kick off a mad dash through the summer months, beginning with a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks starting Friday at Chase Field: The Cardinals are one of several bubble teams that probably won't commit to buying or selling (or holding) until days before the July 31 deadline. 'Where we are in the week leading up, or the 72 hours leading up to the trading deadline, may affect how we make our decisions,' president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in early July. Mozeliak maintained through June that the team's performance in July would drive his deadline decisions. The issue? The Cardinals are 4-7 this month with multiple players battling through injuries. Iván Herrera was activated off the IL the day before the break after missing 3 1/2 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. His time behind the plate is expected to be limited for the remainder of the season, as he's suffered two lower-half injuries already this season and the Cardinals want to protect his health as much as possible. Taking Herrera's place on the IL is Lars Nootbaar, who played through several weeks of rib discomfort before being diagnosed with a left costochondral strain. He is expected to miss at least two weeks. Nolan Arenado (right index finger sprain) has tried his best to avoid the IL, but he's played in just four games this month and completed only two of them. He'll use the All-Star break as a reset and hope to return to game action Friday. Jordan Walker (appendicitis) has cleared all health concerns, but remains in Double A on a rehab assignment. The Cardinals want him to fine-tune his approach and correct some swing issues before calling him back up. However, a position player can be on a rehab assignment for a max of 20 days. Walker began his rehab stint on June 28, which points to the team needing to make a roster decision before the second half begins. Advertisement While the Cardinals try to get healthy, their depth needs to step up. Thomas Saggesse has struggled since being called up in mid-June, hitting .133/.152/.156 over 14 games. José Fermin and Yohel Pozo have made solid contributions offensively, but they are designated to be role players, not starters. If the Cardinals can come out of the break with better health, they'll feel much more confident about their chances to be buyers. If not, they could be a major factor in the trade market. St. Louis has several impact relievers on expiring deals (Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz) and is believed to be shopping starting pitcher Erick Fedde as well. 'The Cardinals can be a linchpin for a lot of teams,' one major-league executive recently said. 'They have a lot of players teams are interested in.' Regardless of whether the team buys or sells, player development will still be the focus. But manager Oli Marmol will be comfortable prioritizing the players who are producing. 'In my opinion, we've given opportunity to everybody at this point, so we'll mix and match and continue to play guys that are deserving,' Marmol said. The Cardinals have already tabbed Herrera as their everyday DH, while acknowledging it complicates matters for Nolan Gorman. It also doesn't allow days off from the field for regulars like Arenado, Brendan Donovan or Willson Contreras. But St. Louis can't (and shouldn't) take at-bats away from Herrera, who has already established himself as its best all-around hitter. Alec Burleson slugged his way into more playing time and looks to be one of the deserving players Marmol referenced. He hit .293 with 11 homers and an OPS above .800 in the first half and will continue to be a starter, likely as a corner outfielder in Nootbaar's absence. Advertisement There will also be an emphasis on finding consistent at-bats for Gorman after what he showed with regular playing time in June. Dating back to June 1, Gorman has played in 34 games and hit .245 with a .500 slugging percentage and eight homers. He packs major value as a left-handed bat off the bench, but St. Louis does not want to limit his role to that. It will be tricky, but the club believes there's a way to ensure Gorman ample playing time even with Herrera at DH. Walker looks to be the odd man out once he returns. Multiple stints on the IL have limited him to 55 games, and his production has been lackluster when he is healthy. Walker hit .210/.267/.295 in the first half with just three home runs, disappointing for a player the organization identified as a priority coming into the year. Herrera's surge allowed the Cardinals to stay afloat while Walker struggled. With St. Louis battling to stay in contention, Walker could hit the back burner. 'We've given ourselves a shot while (developing),' Marmol said. 'I'll continue to find ways, and I think we've threaded that as much as we can. I don't think we'll veer from it, but I'll lean heavier as we get further into the (second half) on playing guys that are deserving. It's not just runway for the sake of runway.' The Cardinals deserve credit for how they handled the health of their pitching staff in the first half. Miraculously, St. Louis did not lose one impact starter or reliever to the injured list. The meticulous scheduling by Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake is a huge reason why. It allowed pitchers in the rotation to take most of their starts on a six-day schedule instead of the traditional five-day turn. But some luck was involved here as well, and the club would be the first to acknowledge that. The area where the rotation's luck has started to run out is the contact rate. St. Louis often plays with fire with its low swing-and-miss, high ground-ball rate pitching staff. That's come back to bite the Cardinals lately. The rotation averaged a 5.02 ERA in June. They've fared even worse in July. Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore and Erick Fedde have combined to throw just 53 innings this month and have allowed a total of 36 earned runs. Fedde, in particular, has drawn ire from fans, but the Cardinals will keep him in the rotation in an attempt to stabilize his potential trade value. Michael McGreevy should be a regular starter come the second half, assuming the Cardinals can create room for him. Pallante and Liberatore are on track to record the most innings in a season in their careers, which raises some concern internally. It doesn't seem likely that Matz, who has thrived in relief, will stretch out and revert to a starter's role. Top pitching prospects Quinn Mathews and Tekoah Roby aren't ready for the big leagues, and the new player development regime will not rush either pitcher up out of need. You know the adage: A team is only as good as its starting pitching. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals have the depth to bolster them through the second half. (Top photo of Masyn Winn: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why the Cardinals president wants ‘complicated' trade deadline
The post Why the Cardinals president wants 'complicated' trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints. The St. Louis Cardinals weren't supposed to contend in 2025. But as of June 3, they are 33-26 and firmly in the National League Wild Card hunt. That means with just under two months before the trade deadline, the organization isn't quite sure what its approach will be. Advertisement And according to team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, that's a good thing. 'I hope July 31 is complicated for us,' he told MLB Network's Brian Kenny. 'Looking at how we're playing right now, if we can keep this up, I do think ownership will let us look to add pieces that make us stronger.' He added that the Cardinals have been competitive all season and that there's no reason to think it can't continue. 'When you look at how we've lined up with some of the better clubs this year, we've competed with them,' Mozeliak said. 'Our club as a whole has a lot of internal confidence so who we play, I don't think we're scared of.' Advertisement This is Mozeliak's final season with the Cardinals after three decades with the club. He told Kenny that when he looks back at his tenure he'll be proud of what he accomplished, though he's not quite done yet. 'I'm hoping 2025 is something that we look back on and say we weren't planning on being great but we became great,' he said. Theres no ill will between the Cardinals and Nolan Arenado Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Heading into what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Cardinals, Nolan Arenado's time in St. Louis appeared to be coming to an end. Mozeliak also discussed how the team approached trying to trade him and then reconciling with the veteran third baseman after he vetoed a trade to the Houston Astros. Advertisement 'When I met with him at the end of last season we talked about trying to find a solution or the possibility of a trade for him, which we ultimately did with Houston, but then he used his no trade and didn't go,' Mozeliak said. 'We got to Spring Training, we hugged it out, we understand where we all are. I think right now he's really enjoying being a part of this club and the way we're playing.' At 34, Arenado's best hitting days are behind him, but his glove has partially offset an 88 OPS+. Baseball Savant still ranks him as an above average third baseman.
Boston Globe
27-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Walt Jocketty, championship-building architect for Cardinals in long baseball career, dies at 74
The Cardinals won the National League Central Division seven times under Jocketty's leadership. St. Louis also won National League championships in Advertisement 'On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to offer condolences to Walt's family and his many friends,' Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. 'Walt was our first GM when we purchased the ballclub and he helped to lead our baseball operations through some of the franchises most successful and memorable years. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'He will be sorely missed but long remembered for his distinguished career in baseball.' A moment of silence for Walt Jocketty at the ballpark his team christened with a World Series championship. — Derrick Goold (@dgoold) Jocketty broke into baseball with the Oakland Athletics in 1980, winning a World Series ring in 1989. Jocketty became the general manager in St. Louis on Oct. 14, 1994. After the team was sold in 1995, the new ownership kept Jocketty in his job. His biggest move was hiring La Russa in 1996. The two men had worked together in Oakland. Advertisement La Russa would go on to be the winningest manager in Cardinals' history and a Hall of Famer. Jocketty revamped the team's roster, and in 1996 the Cardinals returned to postseason play for the first time in nine seasons. In his tenure with St. Louis, Jocketty either drafted or acquired such stars as Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Mark McGwire, Adam Wainright, Chris Carpenter, David Eckstein, Jason Isringhausen, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen. With Jocketty at the helm, St. Louis put together seven consecutive winning seasons. In 2004 and 2005, the Cardinals won more than 100 games. He was named the MLB Executive of the Year in 2000, 2004, and 2010. Related : Leading up to the 2000 season, Jocketty became the first GM in baseball history to trade for a 20-game winner (Darryl Kile from Colorado) and a 40-homer hitter (Edmonds from Anaheim) in the same offseason. After he was fired by the Cardinals in 2007 because of differences with ownership, Jocketty was hired by Cincinnati as a special adviser on Jan. 11, 2008. He then was named general manager of the Reds after Wayne Krivsky was fired on April 23, 2008. He served in that role until Dick Williams replaced him on Dec. 27, 2016. Jocketty was replaced by John Mozeliak in St. Louis. 'He was a great man,' Mozeliak said after Saturday's game. 'In terms of baseball, he loved it. His influence on myself and this organization was huge. Trying to sum it up in a sentence or two is difficult, but his impact is something that I think will always be remembered. His legacy will age well.' Despite replacing him when he was fired, Mozeliak said the two remained close. Advertisement 'That was a different time, of course,' Mozeliak said. 'In the end, we ended up being friends again. We both understood this is part of the business. I think he was proud of the success I ended up having.' The Reds made the playoffs three times when Jocketty served as the GM — in 2010, 2012, and 2013. They have made the playoffs only once since. Jocketty spent 14 seasons in the A's organization as director of minor league operations, director of baseball administration, and as right-hand man to Sandy Alderson. Jocketty is survived by his wife and two children, Ashley and Joey.
New York Times
28-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Despite promised reset, Cardinals now find themselves stuck in the middle
The worst place to be, virtually every baseball executive will say, is in the middle. Either compete or rebuild. Just don't get caught in between. The St. Louis Cardinals are caught in between, after promising a 'reset,' which they now call a 'transition' – anything but a dreaded 'rebuild.' If the Cardinals could not move third baseman Nolan Arenado, who blew his initial chance to leave when he rejected a trade to the Houston Astros, they should have at least dealt closer Ryan Helsley and right-hander Erick Fedde. Advertisement Instead, they dug in, contradicting what chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said when they announced the team's pivot in early October — and depriving the organization a chance to add prospects to the young core the club's leadership is so eager to promote. The Cardinals essentially are bringing back the same club that finished 83-79 last season, minus first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and reliever Andrew Kittredge, who left as free agents, and right-handers Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, who had club options declined. Their 'plan,' if one can even call it that, raised the question of whether Mozeliak simply could not accept a major step back in his final season on the job before getting replaced by Chaim Bloom. Asked directly if his reluctance to go out on a down note factored into his decision-making, Mozeliak said, 'Not really. I represent ownership. We certainly want to make sure our fan base knows we are trying. Now the level of adding vs. transitioning is definitely a little different. But we still want to be a product people come out and watch.' Such an approach is commendable, and the Cardinals certainly have succeeded in building an appealing product. Over the past 25 years they rank third in the majors in wins, behind only the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. And for all the justifiable criticism of Mozeliak's recent work, his tenure includes 10 postseason appearances in 17 seasons, five trips to the NLCS and the 2011 World Series title. Ok, but back to the news conference of Sept. 30, the day after the 2024 regular season ended, when the Cardinals revealed their shift in organizational philosophy. 'Our number one priority will be to lay the foundation for a sustained period of competitive excellence in the years ahead,' DeWitt Jr. said. Advertisement 'This is a reset, yes,' Mozeliak said. 'This is going to be where we're not necessarily building the best possible roster we can.' The signal to the fan base was clear: After two straight years of failing to qualify for a six-team NL playoff field, the Cardinals were going to invest more in player development and rely more on younger major leaguers in 2025. Both things are happening. The overhaul of the player-development system began with Bloom hiring a new assistant general manager, Rob Cerfolio from the Cleveland Guardians, and three new directors. But at the major-league level, the Cardinals should have committed to a youth movement more aggressively. They need not have torn down completely, a strategy that has become less tempting for clubs since the inception of the draft lottery in 2023. All they needed to do was follow through on what they said. And if DeWitt had ordered Bloom to take over immediately, rather than allow Mozeliak a farewell tour, perhaps they would have done just that. Does anyone seriously think Cardinals fans would have been upset if the team received solid returns for Helsley, who led the majors with 49 saves in 53 chances last season, or Fedde, who in 177 1/3 innings for the Chicago White Sox and Cardinals produced a 3.30 ERA? True, both are entering their free-agent years. But for closer Devin Williams, another potential free agent, the Milwaukee Brewers landed a mid-rotation starting pitcher, Nestor Cortes Jr., and an infield prospect, Caleb Durbin. The Cardinals would have sought more of a prospect-based package for Helsley, who will earn $8.2 million in 2025. And they could have gotten it. Fedde, too, should have been in demand. His $7.5 million salary looks like a downright bargain compared to some of the free-agent deals from the offseason — two years, $34 million for Frankie Montas; two years, $29 million for Matthew Boyd; one year, $15 million for Alex Cobb. Advertisement In fairness to Mozeliak, the entire picture — from ownership's influence to the actual trade interest in Helsley and Fedde — is not known. Arenado, with his willingness to waive his no-trade clause for only five teams, left Mozeliak with little maneuverability. Mozeliak spent much of his offseason trying to tip over that domino, and it never budged. Then again, a trade of Arenado, either this spring or before the deadline, likely would be little more than a salary dump. The desires of first baseman Willson Contreras and righty Sonny Gray to remain with the team also might have impacted Mozeliak's thinking. If either or both were willing to waive their own no-trade clauses, perhaps Mozeliak would have seen greater reason to trade Helsley and Fedde. The team, at that point, would have been much less likely to compete. But that's not how it played out. With the rest of the roster staying intact, trading Helsley and Fedde might not have been all that damaging, particularly if the Cardinals acquired major-league ready talent in return. The NL Central is the weakest division in the sport. As disappointing as last season was for the Cardinals, they entered the deadline only two games back in the wild-card race. And while they were only two games over .500, Mozeliak viewed a postseason berth as realistic, adding Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham. So, what happens this year if the Cardinals are again within reasonable striking distance? Mozeliak, unwilling to deal in hypotheticals, passed on the question. But trading prospects for veterans at that point would run completely counter to what the Cardinals say they are trying to do. If the Cardinals are out of contention, a somewhat difficult-to-imagine scenario with the expanded playoff format, they could always trade Helsley and Fedde then. But they would receive less for two months of those players than they would have for six months. The returns also would be diminished by the inability of the acquiring teams to make qualifying offers. Helsley and Fedde might not warrant QOs, but their values are greater with the possibility intact. Players traded in the middle of a season cannot receive qualifying offers. 'This club could be good, or it could struggle,' Mozeliak said. 'A lot of it just depends on how people obviously step up and play. Is Jordan Walker an impact bat? Is Nolan Gorman that middle-of-the-order type hitter? Is Brendan Donovan an All-Star outfielder? Is Willson Contreras adjusting from catcher to first base, and does the bat come alive even more? There are things that are in question. But if they come around to where we hope, it could be a fun team to watch.' Could be, yes. The problem is, this was never supposed to be about 2025. It was supposed to be about 2026, and beyond. (Top photo of John Mozeliak: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
