Multiple Reports Link Cardinals, Orioles For Trade Involving All-Star Hurler

St. Louis might have to unload some talent if they cannot sustain their run

Scott Neville | May 25, 2024

Jul 29, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the second inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals finally seem to be trending in the right direction after a brutal start to the 2023 campaign, winning a series against the Boston Red Sox and sweeping the Baltimore Orioles before their important three-game set with the Chicago Cubs.

With that said, they dug themselves into a massive hole to begin the 2024 campaign and still project as sellers at the upcoming deadline. Should that remain the case, closer Ryan Helsley would bring the biggest return of all realistic trade candidates. The All-Star closer continues to be linked to the same organization: the Baltimore Orioles.

"I think the Orioles need an impact closer like Mason Miller or Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote Thursday. "They could use two more set-up relievers as well. In terms of who matches up well with them, the answer is all of the 29 other teams. That’s because the Orioles possess one of the best and deepest farm systems in baseball and have enough organizational depth to trade multiple outfielders, infielders and pitchers in their farm system."

Bowden is far from the only reporter to tie Helsley to the Orioles. Just over a week earlier, FanSided's Robert Murray said he see's Baltimore as a landing spot "that could really make sense."

Before him, USA Today's Bob Nightengale more boldly reported that the Orioles "have their eyes" on Helsley and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal claimed that Helsley would appeal to Baltimore by name but also said he'd recieve attention from all contenders.

Helsley has a 1.23 ERA with a 24-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .192 batting average against and a 0.86 WHIP in 22 innings for the Cardinals as of Friday afternoon. Most importantly, he's converted 15 of 16 save opportunities for a team that has needed him to be near perfect.

It's far too early to call Helsley to Baltimore a lock but that connection has been as highly reported as any trade deadline fit this season and is certainly something to pay attention to in the coming months.

More MLB: Cardinals Rising Star Surprisingly Named Potential Trade Candidate For AL Club

Published May 25, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu