The St. Louis Cardinals have lastly made their first main league transaction of the offseason, because the workforce has accomplished a commerce with the Minnesota Twins, buying utility participant Michael Helman in trade for money concerns. This transfer finalizes the Cardinals’ 40-man roster as they put together for spring coaching.
At 28 years outdated, Helman’s journey to the majors hasn’t been simple. The Twins initially drafted him within the eleventh spherical of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M, however accidents slowed his profession and stored him from advancing as shortly as he’d hoped. However in 2024, after years of perseverance, he lastly bought his shot on the highest stage.
Helman’s debut with the Twins might have been transient, simply 9 video games, however he actually made essentially the most of it. He posted a .300 batting common, a .300 on-base proportion, and a .500 slugging proportion over 10 at-bats, with 2 runs and three hits.
Previous to his call-up, Helman put collectively a powerful season at Triple-A St. Paul. In 72 video games, he hit .271 with a .439 on-base proportion and a .772 slugging proportion, smacked 14 dwelling runs and 18 doubles, and drove in 49 runs. However his worth prolonged past the batter’s field. Defensively, he demonstrated his versatility by enjoying all three outfield positions, in addition to third base, with further expertise at second and shortstop.
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The Twins made this transfer as a result of they wanted to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to finalize free-agent signings for Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe. Earlier than the commerce, their roster was full, and with Bader coming in, Helman’s probabilities of sticking round in a bench function have been just about gone.
Regardless that Michael Helman isn’t anticipated to be a star, his right-handed bat and talent to play a number of positions make him a worthwhile depth piece. With the St. Louis Cardinals, he’ll have an opportunity to compete for a bench function or begin the season at Triple-A Memphis.
The Cardinals’ offseason has been gradual. Commerce talks involving Nolan Arenado have stalled, and so they haven’t made many massive strikes. Followers are hoping for one thing extra thrilling earlier than spring coaching, however for now, Helman is a low-risk addition who provides them some further depth as they finalize their roster.