The offseason is underway. The Cardinals began their rebuild on Thursday when they declined their club options for Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Keynan Middleton. It's the start of what figures to be a painful offseason in St. Louis, as more players will be on their way out.
On top of that, I think it's safe to say that the Cardinals won't be signing any free agents, which is unfortunate. While a rebuild is necessary, that doesn't mean it won't come without some heartache.
Of the players that could be shipped out, the most likely is closer Ryan Helsley. I for one believe the Cardinals should have capitalized on his value at the trade deadline this year, but better late than never, I guess.
The Cardinals can get a haul of prospects for him, and if they want the best possible haul, they should look no further than the defending champion Dodgers.
Cardinals should trade Ryan Helsley to Dodgers
I say this because the Dodgers have a lot of pitching depth and plenty of young arms that could be had in a potential trade. You could even get some of their better young arms in exchange.
Helsley
This package might seem like a bit of a reach, but the Dodgers will have Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow back in the rotation next year. They'll have a full year of Yoshinobu Yamamoto too, and who's to say they won't bring back Walker Buehler after a strong postseason?
If the Cardinals want a haul, this is the place they should check first. The Dodgers have a ton of depth on the pitching side, and the Cardinals need to pick up young, cost-controlled talent, something they should have done at the 2023 deadline and at this year's deadline.
Frasso is close to being ready for the Major Leagues, and Miller has already tasted the big leagues. Both could be solid options for the rotation heading into spring training and could easily replace Gibson and Lynn.
In a sense, if the Cardinals get the best possible haul for Helsley, their rotation, as strange as it sounds, could possibly be better in 2025 than it was this year because at least there's some upside rather than more aging veterans.
Next year is going to be about development and giving young guys chances. It can't hurt to have more young arms fighting for spots on the roster.
