ST. LOUIS – Speaking publicly for the first time in weeks about his future in St. Louis and the state of the Cardinals just hours before Thursday’s MLB Trade Deadline, Nolan Arenado lamented the trading of Ryan Helsley and wondered if there might be a trade that would suit his desires to play for a World Series contender.
Arenado admitted that he was “bummed” seeing Helsley – who set the Cardinals franchise record in saves with 49 in 2024 – get traded to the Mets just minutes before the Cardinals lost 2-0 to the Marlins on Wednesday night. Arenado, 34, also wondered if a similar fate could await him before the Deadline on Thursday with the Cardinals clearly ditching their plans to contend and go all-in on a rebuild focused on their young core and prospect base.
Arenado, who came to the Cardinals before the 2021 season and was once thought to be the final piece in making the franchise World Series contenders again, used the no-trade clause in his contract to squash an agreed-upon deal to the Astros last December. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently met with Arenado to determine whether his list of acceptable trade destinations had expanded, and that answer is still unclear. However, Arenado did admit that he has some things to consider in the hours before the Deadline.
“We’ll see. I’ve got some things to take care of first,” Arenado told MLB.com. “It’ll probably be fine [without a trade], but we’ll let it play out and see where it goes.”
Arenado, who still has two years and $42 million remaining on a contract set to pay him $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027, per Spotrac, has just 10 home runs this season and is currently mired in a 25-game stretch without a dinger. His .660 OPS is at a career low.
By trading their two-time All-Star closer for three Minor League players likely still years away from the big leagues, the Cardinals signaled their immediate plans to rebuild under Chaim Bloom, who will take over for Mozeliak following the 2025 season. Arenado admitted that he will greatly miss his teammate on the field and his close friend and golfing partner off the baseball diamond.
“The way he carried himself was amazing and he was a true professional,” Arenado said of Helsley, who had recorded 70 saves in 79 save opportunities over the past two seasons for the Cardinals. “I’m going to miss him on the field and off the field. We’d go golf and hang out, so I’m going to miss him a lot. I’m bummed, but I’m happy for him, too.”
Arenado said even with Helsley playing for the Mets, the two of them will have a friendship that will last a lifetime.
“He’s the man and I really hope it works out well for him,” Arenado said of Helsley, who will be a free agent this winter when he hopes to land a long-term contract similar to one inked by fellow All-Star closers Josh Hader and Edwin Díaz. “[Helsley] is one of the better people I have ever played with and one of my all-time favorites. And he’s a great competitor, and a hard worker and just having him around, he made everybody better, truly.”
