3 Cardinals players who aren't as safe as we think with the trade deadline approaching

Ryan Helsley isn't as safe as we'd think

With the Cardinals firmly in the race for both the NL Central and a Wild Card spot, surely they won't deal their lone All-Star and one of the best closers in all of baseball, right? Well, no. The precedent has been set for contending teams to deal high-leverage relievers in the past, and as of right now, Ryan Helsley's value has never been higher. The Cardinals could get a massive return for Helsley from a prospect-rich team such as the Dodgers or Orioles, and they could still add other big pieces at the deadline.

With only one year left on Helsley's contract and a strong bullpen, it's unlikely he will remain in St. Louis longer than 2025 given the massive deals closers such as Josh Hader and Edwin Diaz have received in recent years. So, maximizing Helsley's value by offloading him for prospect capital could be the best allocation of resources for the Cardinals. If they could receive a prospect like Andy Pages or Heston Kjerstad who's close to Major League ready, their lineup could receive the boost it needs with Goldschmidt and Arenado underperforming massively.

The Cardinals bullpen, while weakened, wouldn't be crippled without Helsley either. After all, the combination of JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, and the under-the-radar Rule-5 pick Ryan Fernandez have contributed in making the St. Louis bullpen one of the best in all of baseball. Selling high on Helsley isn't necessarily a losing move if the Cardinals get it right. If they can replace him with a solid high-leverage option, get a massive prospect haul, and add the right pieces at the deadline, they could be put in an even better position to make a World Series run even without an All-Star closer.