5 players who could be on the trade block if the Cardinals are buyers at the deadline

Ryan Helsley may be struggling this year, but there are plenty of contenders desperate for bullpen arms

It came as a real shock to many in the industry, beat writers, bloggers, podcasters, fans, and frankly, Ryan Helsley himself, that he was not traded by the Cardinals this offseason. If you listen to Helsley's comments back at Winter Warm-Up, he was expecting to be on a new team this year, and seemed pretty certain that an extension was not going to be happening due to the Cardinals' lack of interest.

Well, holding onto Helsley hasn't panned out so far, as he's really struggled to begin the year, posting a 3.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in his 18 appearances. His ERA, WHIP, HR/FB%, BB/9, and K/9 are all the worst they've been since becoming the club's closer in 2022.

His average fastball velocity is the lowest it has been since 2022 as well, and it is grading out as a below-average pitch this year. His slider, which was one of the best pitches in baseball last year, is barely an above-average pitch now as well. He's getting hit hard frequently (26th percentile) and is no longer elite at producing swings and misses or getting hitters to chase out of the strike zone.

I'm not going to doubt Helsley's ability to rebound here soon. He is one of the most dynamic relievers in baseball when he's right, and just months away from hitting free agency for the first time in his career, Helsley is extra motivated to be the best version of himself to get paid this offseason.

Helsley has only blown a few saves this year, so he hasn't been a negative for the Cardinals, but he's also not been an essential cog for them as they win ballgames. Last year was a unique campaign for Helsley, where the Cardinals played in so many close games that it really mattered that they had a lockdown closer at the back of their bullpen. Most of the time, though, teams don't need that elite production from their closer to win a lot of regular season games.

If you look around baseball, there are already multiple teams in desperate need of bullpen upgrades, and that list will likely grow as the trade deadline approaches. The Diamondbacks, Phillies, Rangers, and Cubs are the most obvious examples right now, and at least three of those teams seem like they'd have interest in Helsley.

It may seem odd to suggest trading Helsley in order to add to the Cardinals' roster, but there are multiple ways doing so could help them upgrade the big league roster.

First, Helsley may be able to net them big league-ready talent. Their starting pitching depth is still pretty thin, especially with a number of injuries to their minor league arms, so Helsley could bolster that for them. The Cardinals could move Helsley for intriguing assets, and then go after a cheaper reliever on the trade market to replace some of the production they lost from him, whether as their new closer or to backfill other roles that now shift without Helsley in the bullpen.

Second, if the Cardinals decided to make a bigger swing at this deadline, it would require valuable assets to do so, and Helsley could be one of those pieces in such a deal, or they could trade him in a seperate move to recoup some of their young talent that they lost in a different deal.

How Helsley is pitching will matter though. If he doesn't improve from how he's looked early this season, it probably won't make much sense to move him, as he won't net them a significant return.