The St. Louis Cardinals and their All-Star closer Ryan Helsley are set to hold their arbitration hearing today in Tampa, Florida.
The young right-hander posted a 1.25 ERA in 54 appearances during the 2022 season and notched 19 saves after an injury-plagued 2021 season.
The 28-year-old was selected to the All-MLB Second Team and made more last season in bonuses than in base pay.
During the arbitration period, Helsley asked for $3 million.
The Cardinals countered with an offer for $2.15 million.
The situation is clearly quite frustrating for Helsley after a strong 2022 season.
On Twitter, Cardinals writer John Denton posted a screenshot of Helsley’s recent statement about the process.
Closer Ryan Helsley & the #STLCards will hold their arbitration hearing today in Tampa. Helsley, an All-Star & a 2nd-team All-MLB performer in ’22, made more last season in bonuses ($865,011) than base pay ($722,450). He asked for $3M for ’23, while the Cards countered at $2.15M. pic.twitter.com/rds0OHiInC
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 15, 2023
Clearly, Helsley is frustrated with the Cardinals about the situation, and rightfully so.
The 28-year-old was one of five Cardinals players to reach the All-Star Game in 2022 and was also an anchor at the back end of the team’s bullpen.
Fortunately, the two sides aren’t too far apart in terms of money, but Helsley’s performance in 2022 would suggest that he deserves the money he is asking for.
The right-hander is eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career and will not reach free agency until 2026.
But with the hearing taking place today, tensions are clearly high, as evidenced by Helsley’s statement.
Helsley obviously feels disrespected by the Cardinals and feels as if he is being painted as the villain in this situation.
The Cardinals certainly have the money to pay Helsley what he wants, making this yet another clear example of the team being unwilling to pay said amount of money.
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