Relief pitchers are desperately needed by MLB teams, especially during the trade deadline. Given the interest Ryan Helsley attracted during the winter, many believed the St. Louis Cardinals should be able to fetch a high price for him. But according to new information from The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the front office might have held onto their negotiating chip for too long.
Bowden was asked what a “reasonable return” would be for his preferred team to acquire Helsley from the Cardinals ($) by a Philadelphia Phillies fan. Furthermore, it might not take much to get the veteran right-hander, according to the insider’s statement, which is a criticism of St. Louis’ front staff.
Cardinals’ return for Ryan Helsley in hypothetical Phillies trade leaves much to be desired
Bowden thinks the Cardinals may acquire Philadelphia’s No. 6 and 9 prospects, outfielder Griffin Burkholder and second baseman Aroon Escobar. To put it mildly, that’s a long way from where we spent the winter. John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, and his team shot themselves in the foot by allegedly wasting a great sell-high opportunity.
Burkholder doesn’t make it into the Top 100 Pipeline rankings, and Escobar barely makes it (No. 97). How is it reasonable for one of baseball’s top closers to get a package that consists primarily of unimpressive farm system reinforcements? What went wrong in St. Louis? For Mozeliak, this fictitious trade with Philly would be a confusing result.
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Helsley, who turns 31 this month, is currently having a poor season and will soon be eligible for unrestricted free agency. It appears that his value has decreased in light of the situation. It’s not as desirable to give up top young talent for him at this time, which is frustrating because several suitors showed interest more than six months ago.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, have little negotiating power, which benefits the Phillies or any other potential buyer. According to reports, St. Louis has not spoken with Helsley about an extension of his contract, which is about to expire. Competing CEOs may say: “Take our pu pu platter or risk the reigning Reliever of the Year hitting the open market, your choice.”
In 31 innings pitched in 2025, Helsley is 3-0 with a 3.19 ERA, 1.387 WHIP, 35 strikeouts, and 18 saves. Unusually, the two-time All-Star is tied for the league lead in blown saves. The hard-throwing pitcher already surpassed his four saves from the previous season, when he prominently led the Majors in saves (49).