MLB Mock Blockbuster Trade: St. Louis Cardinals Deal Ryan Helsley to Phillies

The expansion of the MLB playoffs has opened the door to more teams making the postseason. But that's arguably both a blessing and a curse.

With additional playoff spots, more teams are involved in the playoff race. But in turn, that makes it more difficult for teams hovering around the .500 mark to determine whether they should push for a championship or sell.

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the teams in that boat this season.

The Cardinals are five games above the .500 mark, but that isn't good enough for even a wild card spot in the National League right now. They are behind the San Francisco Giants by 1.5 games for the final wild card spot.

In the NL Central, the Cardinals are in third place and trail the Chicago Cubs by 6.5 games.

What St. Louis does over the next three weeks will likely go a long way to determining what the organization will do at the deadline. If the Cardinals do sell, though, they have a great trade chip in pending free agent closer Ryan Helsley.

In modern baseball, teams never feel like they have enough relief pitching. The Cardinals could demand a high price for their elite closer, particularly from a team desperate for ninth-inning help such as the Philadelphia Phillies.

Let's explore the possibility of Helsley landing with the Phillies at the MLB trade deadline.

St. Louis Cardinals-Philadelphia Phillies Mock Trade

St. Louis Cardinals receive Phillies No. 13 prospect and right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson and Phillies No. 15 prospect and third baseman Carson DeMartini.

Philadelphia Phillies receive right-hander Ryan Helsley.

On Monday, I mocked Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers to the Phillies. If Philadelphia wants to add two bullpen arms, it could target both Helsley and Detmers because each would fulfill different reliever roles.

Adding both would also give the Phillies another lefty and right-hander in the bullpen.

But the Phillies may also be interested in adding a starter. If only one bullpen addition is possible, Helsley is the preferred target.

In 30 appearances this season, Helsley is 3-0 with 17 saves. He also owns a 3.30 ERA, 1.367 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Last season, Helsley was a workhorse for the Cardinals, appearing in 65 games. He led the NL with 49 saves and 62 games finished while posting a 2.04 ERA, 1.101 WHIP and 79 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.

The right-hander would immediately fill the Phillies' ninth-inning hole left from Jose Alvarado's PED suspension. Alvarado will return before the end of the regular season, but the suspension also makes him ineligible for the postseason.

Since Alvarado's suspension, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm have mostly split the Phillies closer role.

In Philadelphia, Helsley would see an uptick in fantasy value because of the potential the Phillies win more games than the Cardinals during the second half of the season. More wins means more save opportunities.

Helsley has blown five saves this season, which is already more than what he had all of last season. He's struggled with the long ball in 2025.

"Helsley had the fourth-best WAR among relievers last season and is in a contract year now but 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," wrote ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan on June 24.

But that doesn't change the fact that he's an upgrade for what the Phillies currently have as options for closers. If the Cardinals are willing to trade him, Philadelphia would be smart to at least inquire about what it would cost to land Helsley.

With Johnson, the Cardinals would be receiving a pitcher who has both starting and reliever experience at the minor league level. In DeMartini, St. Louis could also have its future Nolan Arenado replacement.