Bleacher Report floats impact Rangers-Cardinals trade to help Texas' bullpen

Little by little, the Rangers have taken steps to address their bullpen after Jose Leclerc, Kirby Yates, Jose Ureña, and David Robertson all chose to test the free agency waters this winter. In December, the club added Jacob Webb and Hoby Milner to the relief corps, but with just over a month until pitchers and catchers report, Texas should still push for a big name to join the existing group.

Luckily, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller has proposed a deal that would net the Rangers an All-Star closer without bloating the team’s payroll, which is already pushing $200 million. In a swap that would send outfielder Alejandro Osuna and lefty Mitch Bratt to St. Louis, Texas could land Ryan Helsley, who has been among the best closers in baseball over the past three years.

Rangers’ bullpen would take a huge leap forward with this trade for Ryan Helsley

Osuna and Bratt, both of whom finished 2024 at Double-A Frisco, are not as high of a cost as one would expect for such a lofty return. Neither ranks among the top prospects in baseball, and they sit at No. 16 and 17 in the Rangers’ system, according to MLB.com. 

Osuna, who has impressive pop for his size, could make the big leagues this season, but Bratt seems like he’ll need more seasoning after a tough first go-round at Double-A. Additionally, the Rangers’ system is stacked with outfield depth, and while Bratt is one of just two touted lefty prospects, pitching depth is fairly easy to replace via the draft.

Helsley would be more than worth a trade. The Rangers who left via free agency represent 37 of the 38 saves the team recorded in 2024. (Yates, of course, accounts for 33 of those.) The team’s projected bullpen notched just four saves last season. In short, Texas needs a guy who can get it done in the ninth.

Helsley’s numbers speak for themselves. He’s posted three straight sub-2.50 FIP years and led the Majors with 49 saves in 2024. He has received Cy Young votes twice and just seems to be getting better with each passing year.

The only thing that could hold back this deal is its short-term status. Helsley is set to receive approximately $8 million in his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent next winter. At that point, though, the Rangers will have about $30 million coming off the payroll in the form of Jon Gray and Tyler Mahle, who will surely be supplanted by the young arms rising through the ranks. That could free things up for a longer-term deal if the pact with Helsley goes well in 2025.

Put simply, the Rangers need this. They’ve made savvy offensive moves, and they have the starting pitching depth. They need the guy who can come in and bring the win home.