Inside The Cardinals

Ryan Helsley To Phillies? Tigers? Insider Addreses Cardinals Superstar

The Cardinals are going to be very interesting to follow...
Patrick McAvoy|
Jul 5, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Jul 5, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsPhiladelphia PhilliesDetroit Tigers

Will the St. Louis Cardinals cut ties with one of the top overall closers in baseball before the July 31st Major League Baseball trade deadline?

Ryan Helsley has been a popular trade candidate for months. Since the 2024 season ended, there has been buzz about Helsley's future in town. He racked up 49 saves in 2024 and at some point is going to land a massive contract. Helsley is in a contract year and will be a free agent when the season ends, so there's been chatter about the possibility of moving him early.

The Milwaukee Brewers were in a similar situation with Devin Williams and opted to trade him this past offseason. The Cardinals kept Helsley and now the topic of his future is up in the air again with the trade deadline coming.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden shared a column highlighting different questions ahead of the deadline and talked about Helsley, specifically in relation to the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

"Aroldis Chapman of the Red Sox, David Bednar of the Pirates, Félix Bautista of the Orioles, Mason Miller of the Athletics, Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals and Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians should be among their top trade targets, with Chapman and Bednar being the most realistic acquisitions," Bowden said of the Tigers.

"Helsley has a 3.30 ERA, a 3.79 FIP and 17 saves in 22 opportunities this season," Bowden said of the Phillies. "He’s in his free-agent walk year and the Cardinals are still within striking distance. A reasonable return in a trade with the Phillies could be second baseman Aroon Escobar and outfielder Griffin Burkholder. MLB Pipeline ranks Escobar and Burkholder sixth and ninth, respectively, in the Phillies’ system."

Helsley has a 3.19 ERA, 18 saves, and a 35-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 31 innings pitched. If the Cardinals struggle over the next few weeks, a trade would make sense. But, St. Louis looks too good to sell.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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