3 relievers who could replace St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Helsley if he's traded

It's still unknown whether the St. Louis Cardinals will buy, sell, or hold at this year's deadline. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak is still in "wait-and-see" mode. Over the next four weeks, the Cardinals will hopefully prove that they are either pretenders or contenders, thus freeing up John Mozeliak to act accordingly.

Several contenders across the league are already preparing their trade operations for this year's deadline. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers, among others, are expecting to make it to the postseason. This has churned up some interesting deadline conversations.

In early June, Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote his early 2025 MLB trade deadline preview. In it, Passan stated that right-handed closer Ryan Helsley would be the Cardinals player who is most likely to be traded this year. He also stated that if the Cardinals keep winning, they'll likely hold onto their two-time All-Star closer.

However, if the Cardinals trade him, they'll need to backfill his role. They have several candidates for this burdensome responsibility.

RHP Phil Maton

Phil Maton has been one of the offseason's hidden gems. The Cardinals signed him late in the offseason to a one-year, $2 million contract. Maton has a 1.84 ERA through 29.1 innings with 39 strikeouts and a 1.091 WHIP. He's been exceptional as a setup man for Oliver Marmol.

Maton has also logged two saves on the year. While he hasn't been a closer during his career, he has pitched in high-leverage situations throughout. If Ryan Helsley is traded elsewhere, Phil Maton could slot into the closer role for the Cardinals for the final months of the season.

There's also a chance the Cardinals opt to move Maton over Helsley due to Maton's better numbers on the year and his lower price tag.

RHP Andre Granillo

Rookie Andre Granillo made his debut earlier this year after multiple strong seasons in the minors. Granillo has made an excellent first impression.

In 6.2 innings at the major-league level, Granillo has a 1.35 ERA and two strikeouts 6.2 with a 1-0 record and one save. His lone win and save came in the same day on a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox.

Granillo has been racking up closing experience in the minors for over a year now, and he's tallied 30 saves as a prospect. It may be rocky at the start if Granillo supplants Helsley as the team's closer, but he has the pedigree to become a reliable closer.

RHP Gordon Graceffo

Gordon Graceffo worked hard all offseason to refine his approach, delivery, and mechanics with Tread Athletics.

Graceffo discussed his potential role over the offseason with Katie Woo of The Athletic, and he stated that he just wanted to contribute in a positive way to the major-league club. He appeared open to working in relief despite being a starting pitcher for the bulk of his time as a prospect.

Graceffo has been used solely as a reliever this year when with the big-league team; he's posted a 6.62 ERA through 17.2 innings while striking out 15 and walking only four. He's allowed just one home run through 10 games. Graceffo has struggled to strike batters out, and he's allowed too many hits this year, but he's still provided solid relief in long outings.

If Graceffo can tap into his strikeout potential that he flashed in the minors this year (9.1 strikeouts per nine innings), he could be a viable closer option if Helsley is dealt.