The St. Louis Cardinals appear ready to embark on the rebuild that many expected them to start a few years ago. As part of this transition, they may trade several veteran players, including Ryan Helsley, Nolan Arenado, and Sonny Gray. Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicts that St. Louis will fully commit to this rebuild and speculates that the Cardinals could trade Helsley, their standout closer, to the Philadelphia Phillies in a major offseason deal. According to Spotrac, Helsley is projected to secure a six-year, $82 million contract when he reaches free agency after the 2025 season.
“The Cardinals are focused on rebuilding, while the Phillies are in need of a hard-throwing, impactful reliever,” Bowden wrote. “After losing key high-leverage relievers Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez to free agency, addressing the bullpen has become a top priority for Philadelphia.” Helsley, who won the Trevor Hoffman Award this year as the National League’s best closer, posted a stellar 2.04 ERA with 49 saves and 79 strikeouts over 66 1/3 innings.
Bowden also suggested a scenario in which the Cardinals might package Helsley and Arenado in a trade with the Phillies to acquire third baseman Alec Bohm and a collection of prospects.
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