Phillies predicted to land $8.2M Cardinals All-Star by Twins veteran

Former Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe believes Cardinals flamethrower Ryan Helsley would be an excellent fit for Bryce Harper and Co. The Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen hasn't met expectations, as their ERA of 4.78 is the third highest in the National League and fifth in MLB.

Helsley is on an $8.2 million contract for 2025 season. The 30-year-old All-Star made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2019 and has been a stellar performer in their bullpen. A two-time All-Star, Hesley has bagged a first-team and second-team selection apart from winning the NL Reliever of the Year award last year.

Plouffe shared his thoughts on the recent episode of Baseball Today with sportscaster Chris Rose on Tuesday. When Rose asked where Helsley would play after July, hitting a potential trade, Plouffe replied (28:54):

"Honestly, I hope it's the Cardinals. Like, you know, they just came off a series win over the Mets, they get the victory last night. Though, I just don’t think that’s going to happen. They’d have to go on a pretty dang good run, knowing the strength of the National League."

However, the MLB analyst believes the Cardinals have less of a chance of entering the postseason. As such, he pointed out the best team that suits Helsley.

"The team that makes the most sense is the Phillies," Plouffe said [29:15]. "I think he’s like a Dave Dombrowski-type guy. Again, walk year, go in this core. They need somebody at the back end that can shut down games. He just seems like the perfect Philly to me."

Apart from the Phillies, Plouffe believes the Rangers and the Mariners are the likely destinations for the 2024 National League Reliever of the Year.

Sportscaster points out another landing spot for Cardinals' Ryan Helsley

In the aforementioned podcast, sportscaster Chris Rose trashed the AL Central team for how they have handled their business. As they have shared that they are in a rebuilding phase, evidenced by their desire to trade veteran Nolan Arenado away, Rose feels they should've done the same with Helsley, who's on his walk year.

With Helsely winning the NL Reliever of the Year last season, the sportscaster said that the Cardinals might've gotten the best deal for Helsley if they had traded him last year. As such, he believes a trade to the Chicago Cubs makes sense.

"The Cubs have a ton of top 100 prospects. I don't know what you would get for a closer, but what have we talked about with Chicago? What's the one thing they're really missing at the back end of their bullpen, for the most part? Swing-and-miss stuff. And Ryan Helsley has certainly got or just not-swing stuff," Rose said [30:51].

Trevor Plouffe agrees the trade makes sense in theory, giving the Cardinals an advantage in the NL Central Division by weakening the Cubs' farm system. However, he doesn't think it would happen.

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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Edited by Bhargav