Tigers Could Turn Team Weakness Into Strength By Trading For Cardinals Star

One of the St. Louis Cardinals’ brightest stars might soon be packing his bags for the American League.

The Detroit Tigers entered Wednesday with an impressive 22-13 record, first place in the AL Central, but Detroit is not without its weaknesses, and they might be calling the Cards in the coming weeks about a trade.

If the Tigers want to solidify their chances of winning the pennant, they need to shore up a bullpen that has been affected by injuries and underperformance.

That makes Detroit a possible suitor for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, who was discussed as a valuable trade chip by MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger last week.

“Ryan Helsley is the closer that so many teams need,” Amsinger said during MLB Tonight.

"There are clubs that are in dire need of a stopper in the ninth (inning). Philadelphia Phillies come to mind.”

“How about the Texas Rangers? I think Ryan Helsley is gonna have so many suitors. The Cardinals are gonna get a haul for him.”

While Amsinger specifically mentioned only the Phillies and Rangers, those won’t be the only two teams pursuing Helsley.

The 30-year-old Helsley is 1-0 this year with a 3.46 ERA and six saves in 13 appearances for the Cardinals. Since he’s on an expiring contract, St. Louis will likely look to move him unless the team surprisingly stays afloat in the division over the next couple of months.

There will surely be other bullpen options for Detroit on the market, but the Tigers won’t find a better solution for their late-inning worries than Helsley.