New York Mets fans were stoked when their front office traded for St. Louis Cardinals closer and 2024 NL Reliever of the Year Award winner, Ryan Helsley, at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
It had been known that David Stearns and the rest of the front office were keen to acquire a reliever to pair with Edwin Diaz in the back end of New York’s bullpen, and Helsley seemed like the perfect fit. While the 3.00 ERA and 21 saves in 26 opportunities with the Cardinals in 2025 weren’t quite the same dominance as the 2.04 ERA and 49 saves in 53 chances Helsley produced one season prior, the team still thought they were getting one of baseball’s relievers.
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Then Helsley imploded once he came to New York. While his 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances with the Mets is ugly, there’s a case to be made that Helsley actually pitched worse than that once the trade happened. What’s for sure is that he was unreliable and faltered in key moments, ultimately being one reason why New York failed to make the postseason.
Aug 15, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) reacts after being taken out of the game against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Helsley is now an unrestricted free agent. And there’s surely nothing he could say to make Mets fans want him back with the team in 2026.
Ryan Helsley’s Admission About Mets Trade Raises Eyebrows
Helsley was interviewed by Cardinal Territory on November 13. And at one point, he got brutally honest about getting dealt to New York.
“I for sure wanted to be a Cardinal the whole time I was there. That’s all I ever knew,” Helsley said of St. Louis, per an X post from Cardinal Territory. “I’ve had a lot trade talks throughout my career there… I think I saw the writing on the wall. You know, it wasn’t a total shock when I got traded, so I think that helped.”
“I for sure wanted to be a Cardinal the whole time I was there [in St Louis].”
Ryan Helsley reflects on being traded to the Mets after spending his entire career with the Cardinals. pic.twitter.com/meU3pmX9n3
— Cardinal Territory (@CardTerritory) November 13, 2025
Helsley went on to speak about how he enjoyed his time in New York, despite his results on the mound being bad. At another point, Helsley admitted that he thinks the Cardinals will reach out to him this offseason about potentially returning to the team.
To be clear, Helsley never said that he didn’t want to be traded to the Mets. He just suggested that he wasn’t necessarily stoked about getting traded to any team and leaving St. Louis.
The bottom line is that while the Mets and their fan base would likely want this trade back, it’s now in the rearview, and both Helsley and New York will turn their attention toward the future.
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