There has already been plenty of talk about how the 2025 season will be a bridge campaign for the St. Louis Cardinals. With John Mozeliak in the final year of his general manager duties and Chaim Bloom waiting in the wings to take over the role, there should be plenty of roster reshaping this offseason.
Some of that has already begun with the team options for three pitchers already rejected and Willson Contreras moving from catcher to first base to take over the role previously held by Paul Goldschmidt.
But what comes next for the Cardinals? Here are three questions that will need to be answered this offseason.
Will St. Louis trade Ryan Helsley?
Helsley led all MLB closers last season with 49 saves while finishing an NL-high 62 games. His 2.04 ERA/2.41 FIP/1.101 WHIP solidified an All-Star season, but the 30-year-old right-hander is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2025 campaign and will be in line for a well-deserved payday if he pitches in the upcoming season as he did in 2024.
Relievers are always a fickle commodity, and Helsley’s value will likely never be higher than it is right now. Could the Cardinals trade him to help build for the future or provide a bat that could benefit the team immediately?
St. Louis has already shown it is ready to move on from veteran pitchers, and Helsley’s name will likely be another one swirling in trade rumors as the offseason progresses.
Can Jordan Walker be an everyday player?
There was plenty of hype around the 22-year-old outfielder when he made his MLB debut on Opening Day of the 2023 season. However, Walker has yet to find consistency in St. Louis, coming off a campaign where he slashed .201/.253/.366 while bouncing between MLB and Triple-A levels.
So, what’s the silver lining in those numbers? In September, getting regular playing time, Walker slashed .253/.286/.494 over 87 plate appearances. If Walker can replicate those kinds of numbers in 2025, it would be a huge lift for a Cardinals offense that will need to find a way to score more runs.
Will the Willson Contreras move allow him to focus?
When Contreras signed with the Cardinals before the 2023 campaign, it was supposed to usher in a new era for St. Louis behind the plate. However, there was plenty of drama surrounding Contreras and his catching to kick off the 2023 season before a 2024 campaign when Contreras only played in 84 games (getting in just 301 at-bats) because of fractures of his left arm and right middle finger.
The move to first base is intended to help keep Contreras healthy, but with that comes a deep dive into learning the position as he only has 11 games under his belt at first base over his nine-year MLB career. Will the drama follow him to a new position if he gets off to a slow start or has any defensive issues early in the season?
A healthy and productive Contreras will go a long way toward helping the Cardinals in 2025. This move to first base may be a long-term solution, but it also needs to have success in the short term as well.