Heartbreak: The all-time great St. Louis Cardinals player announced the end of his contract in order to reach an agreement on a new contract with…
Teams and players eligible for arbitration had until today at noon central time to reach a contract agreement. Six players were eligible for arbitration with the St. Louis Cardinals: Tommy Edman, Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, John King, and recently acquired Andrew Kittredge. Dylan Carlson was not among them.
In the past, John Mozeliak has favored a “file and trial” strategy, in which the team offers a contract to a player, and if the player rejects, the two sides proceed to arbitration. Extensions to players who are eligible for the Arb were a possibility for this year’s group of young players because the team hasn’t shied away from doing so in the past.
The Cardinals have come to terms with relievers Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero, John King, and right-handed closer Ryan Helsley. Helsley has a $3.8 million contract, and Carlson has a $2.35 million contract. Ryan Helsley receives a $1.7 million compensation increase, and Carlson almost triples his salary from the previous year.
Helsley, the team’s primary closer in 2024, was selected as a Second-Team All-MLB choice in 2022 and an All-Star in 2022. After just under 200 innings pitched, his lifetime ERA is 2.83. In five seasons, he has amassed thirty-five saves. Despite his fair share of injuries last season, Helsley pitched 36.1 innings with a 2.45 ERA. His thirtyth birthday is in late July.
According to John Mozeliak, Dylan Carlson will be the team’s fourth outfielder. In 2021, he came in third in the Rookie of the Year competition, and he appeared to have it all together. Due to injuries and uneven playing time, Carlson, who was once the best prospect in all of baseball, hasn’t been able to reach those heights again. He possesses a
