Unlike some of the previous former Cardinals who have played big roles in some other teams’ recent postseason runs, what Luke Weaver has become for the Yankees should not make the Cardinals regret saying goodbye.
But that doesn’t mean the former starting pitcher’s surprising rise as Yankees closer can’t give the Cardinals something to chew on this offseason as they try to figure out what, exactly, this retool/rebuild will look like moving forward.
Weaver’s reinvention isn’t just a testament to his dedication and willingness to evolve. It’s a reminder that smart teams figure out high-leverage bullpen answers without dedicating large salaries to those roles. If the Cardinals’ 2025 money is going to be tight, as they have indicated it will be as the team is more being steered toward fixing player development, then dedicating a large chunk of payroll to the back end of the bullpen could be unrealistic.
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In a perfect world, yes, it would be crazy for the Cardinals to consider trading away drafted-and-developed All-Star closer Ryan Helsley. He epitomizes the kind of success the organization now says it’s going to get back to prioritizing. But the Cardinals’ world is not perfect at the moment, is it?
Too few internally developed players in Helsley’s 30-year-old age and experience group have found a similarly stellar path with the organization. He’s set to make bigger money than ever before thanks to how the league’s arbitration process will reward his recent results. His team is publicly preparing its fans for a drop in major league payroll. He’s one of if not the most interesting candidate the Cardinals could consider trading because no matter how many teams prove thrifty bullpen construction can work, there will still be clubs that want the perceived security of a been-there, done-that flamethrower waiting for the ninth.
Teams in need of bullpen answers that are prioritizing making the 2025 postseason would have to be very interested in adding Helsley for his final season before free agency. A Cardinals team that for the first time in a long time is willing to say it’s not going to prioritize building the best team possible has to answer a hard question: Are they even going to be in a position to get the most value out of Helsley on the mound in 2025? Or, is the better value getting what a team better built to win now would pay for Helsley via trade?
Which brings us back to Weaver, the most popular ex-Card named Luke in New York since Voit. He wasn’t supposed to be the Yankees’ closer, but here he is, and he’s looked more than capable.
Most lost track of Weaver after he was part of the package traded to Arizona for Paul Goldschmidt years ago. He stalled out as a starter. Battled injuries. Regressed to mop-up duty and was lost in that land between fifth starter and low-leverage bullpen work.
His career seemed on brink as he became a waiver-wire guy bouncing between three teams — Reds, Mariners, Yankees — during his age-29 season in 2023. But the Yankees saw big bullpen upside in Weaver after he made three spot starts for them last season.
The result? Pitching for the first time exclusively as a reliever, he made 62 regular-season appearances and held hitters to a 2.89 ERA. He averaged nearly four strikeouts (103 on the season) per walk surrendered (26).
Weaver notched four saves, finished 12 games and eventually became the obvious candidate to step into the closer role when Clay Holmes’ struggles opened the door to competition.
Pitching in the postseason for the first time in his career, Weaver secured saves in both of the Yankees’ American League Division Series wins against the Royals entering Thursday’s Game 4 in Kansas City. He was good all season, but he’s been even better in save situations.
He’s done it all on a $2 million contract that features a modest team option for 2025. One of baseball’s biggest-budget ballclubs found gold in the bargain bin. Go figure.
Weaver deserves the most credit here, but give the Yankees plenty, too. Yankees writers have reported about how the team tweaked some of Weaver’s pitches to improve his swing-and-miss results. The Yankees saw a more valuable path for a pitcher who was on the cusp of being processed. The plan worked.
It’s the kind of pleasant surprise the Cardinals could need to create a few examples of if they are going to prove they can be a competitive-ish team while undergoing sorely needed foundational repairs. President of baseball operations-in-waiting Chaim Bloom should be able to help here, considering his experience in similar spots in thrifty Tampa and then cost-cutting Boston.
Considering the lack of impact at the major league level the Cardinals have received so far from their 2023 trade-deadline selloff, Bloom being involved in this stuff is a must. It’s encouraging that Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said he wants Bloom’s voice involved in the major league decisions in addition to his special assignment of rescuing player development.
An MLB Trade Rumors formula built to take a stab at predicting what a player could earn in arbitration guestimates Helsley could be owed as much as $7 million for next season, thanks to his club-record save (49) success this season. For context, the surprise of the postseason, the Detroit Tigers, fielded a postseason roster of players making about $18.5 million combined.
The Cardinals have shopped Helsley before. Teams once interested in him could be again, plus newcomers. Unlike some of the pricey veterans Cardinals fans are assuming there will be wild markets for if made available, Helsley’s market would be both legitimate and intense.
When a big-market, big-spending team like the Yankees can answer its closer question with Weaver, you have to wonder if a Cardinals team looking toward the future can get the most out of a closer built to win now without sending him elsewhere. Trading Helsley would be a rebuild move. Finding a way to fill his shoes in a more affordable manner could bode well for how quickly the Cardinals can rebound.
Unless, that is, the Cardinals see a transition 2025 season as the right time to truly explore the idea of Helsley starting. Could be fun. Certainly would be interesting. If not, probably best to trade him.