Context:

The St. Louis Cardinals are currently in a rebuilding phase and are expected to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, who set a franchise record with 49 saves last year, is a prime candidate for trade as he is an impending free agent unlikely to re-sign with the team. A potential trade scenario involves sending Helsley to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for promising pitching prospect Mick Abel, who has been performing well in Triple-A. The Phillies require bullpen support, and Helsley could provide a strong presence at the back end of their games. Trading Helsley would allow the Cardinals to capitalize on his value before free agency and strengthen their future roster with young talent like Abel.

Dive Deeper:

• The St. Louis Cardinals are not expected to contend in 2025, as they are currently in fourth place in the National League Central and are five games behind the top spot, signaling a transitional phase for the team.

• Ryan Helsley, the Cardinals' All-Star closer, is coming off a successful season where he set a franchise record with 49 saves, making him a valuable asset for potential trade discussions.

• Jim Bowden of The Athletic suggests a trade between the Cardinals and the Phillies, where Helsley would be exchanged for right-handed pitching prospect Mick Abel, who has a 2.75 ERA in Triple-A.

• The Phillies are in need of a reliable bullpen presence, especially at the end of games, as their current options have not met expectations, positioning Helsley as a suitable candidate to fill this role.

• Mick Abel, the proposed return for Helsley, is a promising young prospect for the Cardinals, showing strong performance in the minors and potentially joining the Major League roster in the near future.

• Trading Helsley would be a strategic move for the Cardinals, allowing them to leverage his impending free agency to acquire future talent and bolster their roster for upcoming seasons.

• The relationship between Dave Dombrowski and John Mozeliak, long-tenured executives of the Phillies and Cardinals respectively, could facilitate negotiations, increasing the likelihood of this trade occurring.

• The St. Louis Cardinals are unlikely to make much noise in 2025. They are already in fourth place in the National League Central and five games back of the top spot.

• The team is transitioning rather than contending, and all likelihood, they will be sellers at this year's trade deadline on July 31. There are plenty of pieces that could be on the move as a result.

• One of them is All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, who is coming off of a career year that saw him set a franchise record with 49 saves.

• Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed the idea of St. Louis sending Helsley to the Philadelphia Phillies for right-handed pitching prospect Mick Abel.

• "Helsley, an impending free agent, is not expected to re-sign with the Cardinals, who should deal him between now and the trade deadline. Dombrowski and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak are two of the longest-tenured front office executives and have had a strong relationship for decades. So, how about a trade of Helsley for Abel straight up?" Bowden wrote.

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• The Phillies need help from the right side of their bullpen, especially at the back end of games. Jordan Romano has not lived up to expectations, while both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez are gone.

• Helsley would give them a commanding presence at the end of games.

• Meanwhile, St. Louis would be receiving a promising young prospect in Abel who is off to a strong start this year, having posted a 2.75 ERA over 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A whole also cutting down on walks, which has been a major issue for him.

• If other pieces are traded too, Abel could perhaps find himself on the Cardinals Major League roster in the near future.

• It will certainly be interesting to see where things stand at the deadline. St. Louis would be foolish not to trade Helsley and capitalize on the right-hander's value before he hits free agency.

• More MLB: Phillies could acquire $81 million Cardinals All-Star for Mick Abel, per insider