The St. Louis Cardinals could be gearing up towards a major sell-off at the trade deadline, including one of their key bullpen arms.
Per Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Cardinals have been shopping around closer Ryan Helsley. After this season, Helsley will become an unrestricted free agent.
“Helsley, who wishes to remain in St. Louis, recently described his chances of being traded as “90 percent,” Woo wrote. “The two-time All-Star closer is the longest-tenured Cardinal and expressed his hope for an extension in spring training. But the Cardinals’ decline in July, combined with Chaim Bloom and a new front office taking over after the season, squashed all potential extension conversations.”
Per Woo, while the Cardinals haven’t officially declared that they are officially sellers, they have reached out to teams about Helsley, and other pitchers such as Steven Matz and Phil Maton. Additionally, JoJo Romero has been garnering interest as well.
Helsley has pitched to a 3.00 ERA this season with 21 saves. With the Cardinals starting to slip further and further down the standings, the team could look to acquire assets in exchange for their top-tier closer.
Helsley was an All-Star in 2022 and 2024. Up to this point, he has spent his entire seven-year career with the Cardinals. Now, it appears more likely than ever that the team will part with one of its mainstays in the back end of their bullpen for so long.
