Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals-Phillies Linked In Huge Trade Buzz For $81 Million Star

The Cardinals and Phillies could come together in a massive trade for a St. Louis star.
Zach Pressnell|
Jun 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Jun 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley has struggled a bit as of late, but his trade value should remain high enough for St. Louis to move him for a huge haul this season.

There are plenty of teams around the league who could emerge as potential suitors for the flamethrowing righty, but one team stands out above the rest.

Matt Grazel of FanSided recently urged the Philadelphia Phillies to pursue a trade for Helsley this season. This isn't the first time these two franchises have been linked in trade buzz surrounding Helsley.

"The Phillies have been a rumored destination for reliever Ryan Helsley since April, before Alvarado's suspension," Grazel wrote. "No matter how healthy the Phillies' bullpen may be, the club will look to add at least one reliever by the trade deadline following Alvarado's suspension. Helsley may still be traded this summer by the St. Louis Cardinals, even though the club is in the Wild Card hunt for a playoff spot.

"The Cardinals' reliever will be one of the more sought-after pitchers on the trade market leading up to the July 31 deadline. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will need to have multiple contingencies in place should he be unable to make a trade for Helsley. He may be worth trading prospects for, especially if Philadelphia can sign him to a contract extension."

This idea makes perfect sense for both sides.

The Phillies need to add a closer and Helsley is bound to be the best option on the market. Since Philadelphia has a lot of prospect capital to trade with, it can afford to make a huge splash on the trade market.

The Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign Helsley when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Spotrac projects the closer to sign for $81 million which is likely out of St. Louis' price range. Trading him now would land a massive prospect haul for a player who's likely leaving at the end of the season anyway.

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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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