For much of the season, veteran star has been at the center of trade discussions as one of the Cardinals’ most valuable chips — and for good reason. Coming off a career-best season with 49 saves, the offseason looked like an ideal window to move him to a contender and maximize his trade value.
Now, I’m not going to dive back into my usual “they should’ve traded him already” take — you’ve heard that enough. But there’s something new worth pointing out as we move deeper into the season.
He notched the save in Game 1 of doubleheader with a clean, three-up, three-down inning. That said, June hasn’t been kind to him. While he’s up to 14 saves, his ERA has crept up to 3.81. It’s not terrible, but for a closer, it’s a bit concerning. And realistically, that dip in performance has likely dinged his trade value. Relievers can be volatile, and some regression from his this year wasn’t unexpected.
That doesn’t mean the Cardinals can’t trade him — he’d still fetch a decent return — but he’s no longer their top trade asset. That title now belongs to Phil Maton.
Maton threw a scoreless eighth in the first game of the doubleheader and has quietly put together a dominant season, lowering his ERA to 1.98. While he may not have Helsley’s All-Star résumé, Maton fits the mold of the high-leverage rental relievers that have netted significant returns at the deadline in recent years. If he keeps pitching at this level, he could bring back a substantial haul.
So, maybe the Cardinals hold onto Helsley after all. Trade Maton instead, restock the farm with quality arms, and still come out ahead. Helsley still has value, but Maton’s the hotter commodity right now.
At five games over .500, I’m not sold on the Cardinals being true contenders, and I believe they’d be making a mistake if they didn’t cash in on Maton while his value is peaking.
The window to trade Helsley at his highest value may have closed, but the opportunity with Maton is wide open.