Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Star Linked To Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees By Insiders

Who will end up winning the St. Louis sweepstakes?
Patrick McAvoy|
May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsPhiladelphia PhilliesLos Angeles DodgersNew York Yankees

There's going to be a lot of noise over the next three days specifically about St. Louis Cardinals All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.

At this point, it seems extremely likely that he will not be with the team any longer by the time August 1st gets here. The trade deadline is July 31st -- you likely know this at this point -- and rumors and reports are only going to pick up over the next few days.

Helsley seems like a near-guarantee to be moved, but that also was the case this past offseason and St. Louis ended up keeping him. The trade deadline is a weird time with so much chatter it's hard to really know what's going to happen. Most of the noise out there is nothing more than that. But, when someone like ESPN's Jeff Passan speaks, you listen. Passan and fellow ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel shared a column highlighting the 50 best trade candidates on the market with the chances of each being moved.

For Helsley, they gave him an 80 percent chance of being traded before Thursday's deadline and listed a handful of teams for him, including the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"No. 18. Ryan Helsley, RP, St. Louis Cardinals," Passan and McDaniel said. "Chance of trade: 80 percent. Helsley had the fourth-best WAR among relievers last season and is in a contract year, but he has been notably worse this season. His stuff and locations are pretty similar, but the main difference is his fastball is getting hit hard -- with one byproduct being his spiking home run rate. Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, New York Yankees, Toronto, Detroit, New York Mets, Seattle."

All three of these teams have been continuously linked to Helsley dating back to the offseason. Could any get a deal to the finish line?

More MLB: Cardinals Bombshell: St. Louis Lose Righty Likely Until 2027

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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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