The St. Louis Cardinals are unlikely to make much noise in 2025. They are already in fourth place in the National League Central and five games back of the top spot.
The team is transitioning rather than contending, and all likelihood, they will be sellers at this year’s trade deadline on July 31. There are plenty of pieces that could be on the move as a result.
One of them is All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, who is coming off of a career year that saw him set a franchise record with 49 saves.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed the idea of St. Louis sending Helsley to the Philadelphia Phillies for right-handed pitching prospect Mick Abel.
“Helsley, an impending free agent, is not expected to re-sign with the Cardinals, who should deal him between now and the trade deadline. Dombrowski and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak are two of the longest-tenured front office executives and have had a strong relationship for decades. So, how about a trade of Helsley for Abel straight up?” Bowden wrote.
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The Phillies need help from the right side of their bullpen, especially at the back end of games. Jordan Romano has not lived up to expectations, while both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez are gone.
Helsley would give them a commanding presence at the end of games.
Meanwhile, St. Louis would be receiving a promising young prospect in Abel who is off to a strong start this year, having posted a 2.75 ERA over 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A whole also cutting down on walks, which has been a major issue for him.
If other pieces are traded too, Abel could perhaps find himself on the Cardinals Major League roster in the near future.
It will certainly be interesting to see where things stand at the deadline. St. Louis would be foolish not to trade Helsley and capitalize on the right-hander’s value before he hits free agency.
More MLB: Phillies could acquire $81 million Cardinals All-Star for Mick Abel, per insider
