Ryan Helsley entered the 2025 season with momentum after leading the majors with 49 saves in 2024. Expectations were high when the New York Mets acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals at the July trade deadline.
But Helsley struggled in Queens, failing to match his early-season form. His ERA more than doubled in the second half, raising questions about his future as free agency approaches.
Could a reunion with St. Louis be in the cards? Possibly. Helsley has already expressed interest in returning. “I would be, for sure, open to (signing) back,” he told Cardinals insider Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Cardinals are not expected to spend aggressively this offseason, but Helsley’s uneven performance may bring his price down. In 22 appearances for the Mets, he posted a 7.20 ERA and averaged five walks per nine innings.
A return to Busch Stadium could provide the reset Helsley needs. In six and a half seasons with the Cardinals, he recorded 105 saves, sixth-most in franchise history. He pitched 299 2/3 innings across 275 games with St. Louis, posting a 2.67 ERA. Helsley also earned All-Star selections in 2022 and 2024 and finished ninth in National League Cy Young voting last year.
Helsley’s track record in St. Louis — combined with the club’s need for reliable late-inning arms — could make a reunion appealing to both sides. If the right-hander remains open to a return, the Cardinals may be able to bring him back on a hometown discount.