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The New York Mets took full advantage of Major League Baseball's chaotic trade deadline. New York's main issue heading into the MLB trade deadline was their bullpen. Edwin Diaz has been just as good as ever, but the depth behind him was shaky. The Mets got him a bunch of help though, trading for Tyler Rodgers and bringing in St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
New York also added Cedric Mullins to add some more depth to their outfield. However, adding bullpen help might be all the Mets need to seriously compete for a World Series title. After giving the Los Angeles Dodgers as much trouble as anyone else in the 2024 postseason, New York made moves to buy in. Now, they are fully committed to competing for a title in 2025.
Mets general manager David Stearns added a double-edged sword to his team when he signed Juan Soto. The superstar outfielder is one of the best players in recent MLB history. Because of that, any team that adds him to their roster automatically makes them World Series hopefuls. However, that means that when they struggle, the magnifying glass on them is bigger than anyone else's.
Helsley does not single-handedly solve all of the Mets' issues. However, he does address the biggest one very well. The Cardinals, on the other hand, gain two of New York's top prospects in the deal. Both teams are competing for playoff spots in the National League. However, this deal shows the disparity between the goals of each team now that the MLB trade deadline has passed.
Each team walks away from the trade with their fair share of positives. Here are grades for the Mets and Cardinals after Helsley's deal.
Cardinals: B
Even though he is not the longest-tenured Cardinals player, Helsley became a core piece of the team. He made it to the major leagues in 2019 and has been elite since taking over as St. Louis' closer. After leading MLB in saves with 49 last season, Helsley was the subject of a lot of trade speculation in the middle of another dominant campaign on the mound.
The Cardinals frustrated front offices around the league with their commitment to contention earlier this season. However, the team eventually broke down and shipped away their most valuable trade piece. Without their closer, St. Louis slipping out of the playoff race is inevitable. However, they did not walk away from the trade with nothing in return.
The Cardinals' future is in good hands with players like Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker leading the way. After the trade, they can add Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm, and Frank Elissalt into the mix. After years of contending for playoff berths, St. Louis is taking a step back. However, they have the pieces needed to make their rebuild a short one.
This year's MLB trade deadline was more of a re-tool than a complete teardown for the Cardinals. Even though Sonny Gray garnered some interest, St. Louis decided to hang on to him. That decision goes to show that the front office believes that they are not far away from contending for another title. For now, though, they good a decent return for Helsley on their end of the trade.
Mets: B+
Talk about taking a weakness and flipping it on its head. The Mets' trades for Rodgers and Helsley changes how manager Carlos Mendoza can configure his bullpen. With his newfound depth, New York's leader has places to pivot to when he has to improvise. The Mets' bullpen cost them in the 2024 playoffs, and the front office refused to let the same weakness beat them again.
New York's addition of Rodgers made the Mets' bullpen better. Helsley's introduction took them to a whole other level. Even though their division rivals added a reliever at the MLB trade deadline as well, fans shouldn't be worried. Helsley and Diaz are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with Jhoan Duran. Both New York teams made out like bandits on July 31, though.
As a roster, the Mets have everything they need to succeed. Ryne Stanek even joked about how good New York's bullpen is now. If they fall short, they have some big questions to answer about their future. Both Rodgers and Helsley are on expiring deals and could be tough for Stearns to retain this winter. If he loses them without winning a ring, the trades fail.
No one in the trio of prospects the Mets send out in the trade were key pieces of their future. However, New York did a good job of gutting its farm system in order to make all of their deals at the trade deadline. Now, the team has a few months to prove that the decisions the front office made were good ones. Luckily for them, Helsley makes that a much easier sell.
