Yankees in Mix For Popular Pitching Target

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman can spell relief ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline by placing a call to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why, you ask? Because the Cardinals have one of the top closers on the trade market and the Yankees need some serious bullpen reinforcements.

"The number of teams that want high-leverage relief pitchers -- and the relative paucity of them on the market. St. Louis' Ryan Helsley is the top rental option," ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday.

"Considering the number of teams that desire impact relief help -- the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, both New York teams and the Los Angeles Dodgers -- the ones that have it are understandably holding out for a strong return," Passan added.

That lines up with what MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Tuesday.

"Ryan Helsley is one of the most popular trade targets with no less than a half-dozen teams interested to varying degrees. Among the suitors, per sources, are the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers and Blue Jays.

"Even with the (Seranthony) Dominguez acquisition, the Blue Jays remain firmly in the hunt for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, per sources," Feinsand added.

"The Cardinals most likely to be traded are Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden ranked Helsley as the No. 3 high-leverage reliever available before the trade deadline and predicted St. Louis will ship him (and All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado) to the Detroit Tigers.

The 31-year-old Helsley is 3-1 this season with 21 saves and a 3.00 ERA. He's a two-time All-Star and led the majors last season with a career-best 49 saves. Helsley finished ninth last year in National League Cy Young Award voting and sports a 2.67 ERA over seven MLB seasons.

The right-hander is making $8.2 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series, according to Spotrac.

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