If the Red Sox are staying in contact with the Cardinals about a potential Nolan Arenado trade, Boston probably should see if St. Louis is interested in raising the stakes.
Arenado has been attached to the Red Sox in trade rumors for quite a while. Boston doesn’t really need a third baseman, but the eight-time All-Star would provide another impactful right-handed bat in Alex Cora’s lineup and definitely would improve the club’s infield defense.
What the Red Sox really need, however, is a lights-out pitcher in the back end of their bullpen. And Boston potentially could make that addition in the same swap that sends Arenado to Fenway Park.
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St. Louis currently rosters one of baseball’s best closers in Ryan Helsley. The 30-year-old was an All-Star and received National League Cy Young votes in two of the last three seasons, including 2024 when he led the big leagues in saves (49). But despite those gaudy statistics, there reportedly have been no contract extension talks between Helsley and the Cardinals as of mid-January.
That should intrigue the Red Sox, who needed to improve their bullpen this offseason but haven’t substantially done so yet. Asking to include Helsley in a trade with Arenado obviously would increase the Cardinals’ return request, but Boston theoretically could be open to a more costly trade if it’s keen on extending Helsley. And with the right-hander only six months removed from his 30th birthday, a long-term deal for Helsley shouldn’t scare Craig Breslow and company.
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Such a trade might have made less sense for the Red Sox earlier in the offseason when opportunities were plentiful. But with so many free agents and trade targets off the board, a deal for Arenado and Helsley might be one of the more prudent moves Boston could make at this juncture.
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