The St. Louis Cardinals are in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot and are only a couple of games away from the last spot.
Despite being in the process of a rebuild, the Cardinals have been a solid team this season, with a 53-51 record. Cardinals players like Nolan Arenado have been rumored to be traded since the offseason, and as the trade deadline grows closer, the team may deal Arenado or one of their impending free agents.
New York Post's Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman outlined their list of potential trade targets for this summer's trade deadline and where they might land, noting that the Cardinals could receive a haul for two-time All-Star Ryan Helsley.
"Big-time Cardinals closer (Helsley) is a free agent and would bring a haul … if they sell," Heyman and Sherman wrote Monday. "A righty who excels at defusing lefty power – four homers in 231 lefty at-bats the last three years. Negative trend: strikeout rates since 2022: 39.3, 35.6, 29.7, 24.8 (through the 2025 All-Star break). Fits: (New York) Mets, (New York) Yankees, (Chicago) Cubs, (Los Angeles) Dodgers, (Philadelphia) Phillies, (Toronto Blue) Jays, (Detroit) Tigers, (Arizona) D’Backs."
Helsley is in the midst of an impressive season. The 31-year-old closer has 20 saves in 35 appearances with a 3-1 record and a 3.09 ERA. On an expiring one-year, $8.2 million contract, Helsley will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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St. Louis is likely will not be a buyer ahead of the trade deadline, as one piece isn't going to push them into contender status. Trading away a talented player like Helsley to a contending team that needs bullpen help could net the Cardinals a haul of multiple high-end prospects that can accelerate their timeline.
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