The Phillies are in serious need of bullpen reinforcements, but making a rash trade could easily blow up in their face.
Philadelphia was dealt a tough blow this week with the news that José Alvarado will be suspended for 80 games — including the postseason — after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. That leaves the team without its go-to closer and with a glaring hole in the bullpen.
There hasn’t been a clear move to fill that void just yet — and let’s be honest, Lucas Sims isn’t the answer — but a replacement will likely be on the way. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski pulled off a midseason trade for Carlos Estévez last year, and he may need to pull off a similar move before the 2025 trade deadline.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Philadelphia has been monitoring Cardinals flamethrower Ryan Helsley — and that was even before Alvarado’s suspension. St. Louis is currently in contention, but Helsley’s expiring contract makes him a trade candidate regardless.
However, former GM Jim Bowden recently floated the idea of trading Phillies top prospect Mick Abel for Helsley in The Athletic.
Let’s be real — that’s a hard pass.
Phillies should not trade Mick Abel for Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley
This perfectly illustrates how quickly things can shift in Major League Baseball. Just a few months ago, the idea of trading Mick Abel for Ryan Helsley seemed far-fetched. Abel was in a tailspin throughout 2024, posting a 6.46 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Meanwhile, Helsley was performing as one of the top closers in the game.
But now, in 2025, the narrative has changed. Helsley is still solid but no longer dominant by his usual standards. The 30-year-old has a 3.71 ERA and 1.47 WHIP through 17 innings, with 17 strikeouts. His strikeout rate has dipped from just under 30 percent last season to 23.8 percent — falling from the 90th to the 68th percentile.
Helsley remains effective, but he’s not trending upward, and he’s entering the final year of his deal. Considering Dave Dombrowski passed on paying both Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman last offseason, it seems unlikely he’d invest heavily in Helsley either.
As for Abel, he’s completely overhauled his game. The nerves from last year are gone, and he’s delivered a 2.53 ERA with 51 strikeouts over 46.1 innings at Triple-A. He recently made his MLB debut, going six shutout innings and matching a Phillies record with nine strikeouts in a duel with Paul Skenes. The Phillies won 1-0.
At the very least, Abel could contribute out of the bullpen this season. With Philly’s deep rotation, he won’t leapfrog Andrew Painter once Painter is ready, but Abel clearly has the tools to succeed in the majors. He could thrive in a short-relief role where he can max out his stuff.
While Abel isn’t completely off-limits in trade talks — especially given Philadelphia’s rotation depth — the Phillies shouldn’t move him for a short-term bullpen piece. He’s simply too valuable.