Ryan Helsley was fully aware of the trade rumors linking him to the Mets — he just didn't understand the interest at first, considering the established hierarchy in the back-end of their bullpen.
But by the time the hard-throwing veteran was acquired in a deal with the Cardinals on Wednesday, just one day before MLB's annual trade deadline, he realized that all contending teams strive for a surplus of high-leverage relievers.
"I was kind of surprised when you have [Edwin] Diaz here. But in the playoffs, you'll take as many good arms as you can get," Helsley said on Friday, wearing new uniform colors. "I'm excited. I obviously spent 11 years with St. Louis in their organization, but I'm excited to be here and be with such a great team."
Helsley is joining a revamped Mets bullpen that should provide ample support for Diaz, who's still entrusted with closer duties. There's plenty of firepower, too, as the team added Tyler Rogers in a swap with the Giants on Thursday and obtained Gregory Soto from the Orioles last week.
While it's still unclear how the Mets will delegate, a late-inning role undoubtedly belongs to Helsley, who logged a 3.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 21 saves across 36 appearances for the Cardinals this season.
"I told [Carlos Mendoza] I'll be ready to pitch whenever he wants me to," Helsley said. "[Diaz] has the ninth and he's one of the best closers in the game. He's been one of the best for seven years, so he definitely deserves that role. So if I need to throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I'll be glad to do so."
The 2025 campaign hasn't been blemish-free for Helsley, as he's already blown more saves (5) than he did last season and opponents are hitting a robust .406 against his fastball with a .522 slugging percentage.
But the 31-year-old isn't fazed by ninth-inning pressure — he logged a league-best 49 saves in 2024, and his 103 saves since 2022 rank fourth among all relievers.
"During the trade deadline, anybody that's looking at you, they're probably in the hunt for a playoff spot," Helsley said. "That's exciting. But looking at this team and how we competed against them this year, you know how strong they are, from top to bottom. The pitching staff as a whole too."
Helsley is slated to become a free agent this coming offseason. Whether or not he returns to the team in 2026, he's equipped to provide a tremendous boost to a championship contender that's in the thick of a division race.
Since the start of June, the Mets' bullpen owns a 4.87 ERA, the 25th-worst mark in the majors.
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