Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals' $81 Million Star Pitcher Linked To NL Contender In Trade

Could the Phillies trade for Ryan Helsley?
Zach Pressnell|
Apr 9, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates with catcher Ivan Herrera (48) after the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Apr 9, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates with catcher Ivan Herrera (48) after the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals have a few expiring contracts this season that they could look to trade. Closer Ryan Helsley could be placed on the trade block this season, and it wouldn't shock anybody. Helsley has a lot of value in a deal, and St. Louis might take advantage of it.

Brad Wakai of Philadelphia Phillies OnSi recently linked Helsley to the Phillies in a blockbuster trade. Helsley's contract expires at the end of the season, and Spotrac projects him to sign for $81 million over six years.

"The star closer for the St. Louis Cardinals would solve a lot of issues for this Phillies team," Wakai wrote. "Despite the relief staff performing better as of late, they still entered play on Sunday with the eighth-worst ERA in the MLB (4.73), not a good sign for a team that wants to win a World Series.

"Helsley has been a dominant reliever starting in 2022 when he was selected to the All-Star Game and finished with a 1.25 ERA. Prior to the 2025 season, he has posted three straight campaigns with an ERA under 3.00, and his current number is at 3.21."

The Phillies might be the perfect landing spot for Helsley. Philadelphia is a solid contender that has a massive hole at closer. It could send a huge prospect haul to the Cardinals in order to land the star.

The only issue that could get in the way of this deal is how hot the Cardinals have been. St. Louis is on a huge win streak right now as it's surging up the National League standings. If the Cardinals are contenders, there's a much lower chance they look to trade Helsley.

More MLB: Can Surging Cardinals Steal NL Central From Powerhouse Cubs?

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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