The St. Louis Cardinals have outperformed their expectations this season. At 47-38, they are currently in sole possession of the final National League Wild Card spot.
What they'll do at the trade deadline is still anybody's guess. They might trade a piece or two away to other contenders, but they also might add a piece to give themselves a chance at making a run.
Either way, they'll be an interesting team to watch at the deadline.
Michael Brauner of Sports Illustrated proposed the idea of St. Louis sending both Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde to the Detroit Tigers.
"After entertaining trading both quality starter Erick Fedde and All-Star closer Ryan Helsley this offseason, St. Louis held onto both of them with the prevailing thought being they would unload them at the deadline," Brauner wrote.
"The Cardinals made virtually no offseason moves and were not expected to contend by any means. However, they have held strong and sit right near the playoff picture."
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Helsley saved 49 games last season, setting a franchise record before being named the NL Reliever of the Year. St. Louis picked up Fedde in a trade with the Chicago White Sox.
If they send both pitchers to the Tigers, they can bring back a solid haul of prospects in exchange that might set them up well for 2026 and beyond.
Helsley is 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA in 29 appearances this year and has saved 16 games, while Fedde is 3-7 with a 4.11 ERA in 16 starts.
Both are on expiring contracts, and if last year's deadline was any indication, teams will be willing to overpay for rental pitchers, which could maximize what St. Louis gets in return.
It will be interesting to see how they operate at the deadline.
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