Cardinals Insider Pours Cold Water On Chances Of Phillies Blockbuster Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals could become sellers before the July 31 trade deadline and contenders, such as the Philadelphia Phillies, might look to make a deal.

Unlike last summer, the Cardinals have several impending free agents who could be dealt for a haul of top prospects. With St. Louis rebuilding, it might be in the franchise's best interest to invest in the future and sell before the deadline.

However, the Cardinals remain only 2 1/2 games behind in the National League Wild Card race. Given that St. Louis seems determined to reach the postseason, the Phillies might have to provide the 11-time World Series champions with an offer they can't refuse to land a top asset.

"(Ryan) Helsley, of course, will draw the interest of teams looking for closers or for late inning help, such as the Phillies," St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold stated Thursday during a podcast with columnist Jeff Gordon as they discussed how the Cardinals might handle this summer's trade deadline. "But the Cardinals have to be wowed with an offer because they're not closing off the idea of offering him a qualifying offer, which would mean that he could come back for 2026, which is something he's expressed an interest in."

Helsley has logged a 3-1 record with a 3.27 ERA, 36-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .260 batting average against and a 1.42 WHIP in 33 innings pitched for St. Louis this season.

The 31-year-old will become a free agent this upcoming offseason for the first time in his seven-year career with the Cardinals. Some insiders have suggested that Helsley could land a $100 million contract if he finishes 2025 as one of the league's top closing pitchers.

The homegrown flamethrower is undoubtedly favored amongst St. Louis fans, so trading him before the deadline would be an extremely challenging decision for Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to make.

In exchange for trading Helsley, the Cardinals would likely seek a haul of top prospects to move forward with rebuilding and help replenish their mediocre farm system.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, they lack a robust farm system, so acquiring Helsley from the Cardinals before the deadline could be tough. Still, Philadelphia has a veteran-laden roster that's determined to win now, so perhaps sacrificing future talent to help the franchise win the 2025 World Series will ultimately prove worthwhile.