Yankees-Cardinals Linked In Trade Buzz For $81 Million Star

The St. Louis Cardinals have a huge decision to make with closer Ryan Helsley this season.

Helsley is expected to be one of the better relievers on the trade market, if the Cardinals put him there. But St. Louis is winning a lot of games, so trading him might not make sense.

With Helsley's contract expiring at the end of the season and Spotrac projecting him to sign for $81 million in free agency, it would make sense for the Cardinals to trade him. They're seemingly very unlikely to sign him to a deal worth close to $100 million.

Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports recently listed the New York Yankees as a potential landing spot for Helsley if the Cardinals opt to trade him this season.

"Since being named the Cardinals’ closer in 2022, Ryan Helsley has been the definition of a shutdown closer. The right-hander’s 93 saves since then are sixth-most among relievers over that span," Dorsey wrote. "There might be some cause for concern with the Cardinals’ closer, but Helsley isn’t the first reliever to go through struggles. And with his track record being what it is, a contender might well believe that a few tweaks and a change of scenery could be just what Helsley needs."

The Yankees have shown a newfound level of aggressiveness since losing Juan Soto in free agency a few months ago. This aggressiveness could continue up to the trade deadline.

The Bronx Bombers have seen some issues with Luke Weaver (health) and Devin Williams (performance) in the closer role this season. Adding another high-leverage arm like Helsley would take some of the pressure off the top arms in New York. This would give manager Aaron Boone a three-headed monster in the bullpen.