The Yankees are also reportedly in the mix for the Cardinals’ reliever.
In the continued process of fortifying their relief pitching for the stretch run, the Mets are reportedly interested in Cardinals’ closer Ryan Helsley. 2024’s National League saves leader is a free agent at the end of this season, and would be a fantastic complement to Edwin Díaz in the back-end of the Mets’ bullpen.
The right-handed Helsley, 31, is currently pitching to a 3.00 ERA for St. Louis with 21 saves. Traditionally, Helsley doesn’t give up a lot of home runs and strikes out at least 10 batters per nine innings. Although Helsley’s 2025 is a little down from his last couple of years in most major categories, he will still be among the most impactful relievers on the market at the MLB Trade Deadline.
Helsely’s stuff is impressive, with a 99% percentile fastball velocity, a 94% chase rate and an 86% whiff rate according to Baseball Savant. He has a four pitch mix but he’s mainly a two-pitch pitcher with a four-seam fastball and slider accounting for 93% of his pitch mix. A curve and a cutter make sporadic appearances in his repertoire.
According to a report from Mark Feinsand, the Mets will have some competition for Helsley, with the Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers, and Blue Jays all in play for his services.