The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to trade away players with expiring contracts before this season’s trade deadline, with closer Ryan Helsley standing out as their most valuable asset. Helsley’s contract expires at season’s end, and Spotrac estimates he could land an \$81 million deal in free agency—making it unlikely the Cardinals will re-sign him. That makes a trade the logical move.
According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the Cardinals could strike a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, proposing that the Phillies acquire Helsley in exchange for pitching prospect Mick Abel.
Bowden pointed out that both Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski and Cardinals president John Mozeliak have a long-standing relationship, making such a transaction feasible. While trading Helsley for Abel might be fair, last year’s strong market for relievers suggests the Phillies could need to offer more—possibly another top-30 prospect—to secure the dominant closer.
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Helsley would address a major need in Philadelphia’s bullpen, and with the NL East race heating up, the Phillies must bolster their roster to keep pace with the Mets. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have little reason to keep Helsley if a solid return like Abel is on the table.