Ryan Helsley believes his trade deadline fate is sealed by the Cardinals

It's not often that you hear a Major Leaguer openly discuss their fate as a trade target, and you especially don't find someone as sure of his fate as St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is.

When asked by Katie Woo of The Athletic about his trade deadline fate, Helsley was sure that his days were numbered: “I would say it’s 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay,” Helsley said.

Ryan Helsley is fully expecting to be traded by the Cardinals before the MLB trade deadline.

John Mozeliak virtually confirmed the Cardinals' fate as sellers earlier this week, meaning Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz are prime candidates to be moved by the club. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has even reported that names like Nolan Gorman, John King, and other players with club control could be moved as well.

There are plenty of teams that have reported interest (Dodgers, Phillies, and Blue Jays) as well as plenty of other contenders that would make a ton of sense for Helsley to land with.

In 35 games this year, Helsley has a 3.09 ERA and 39 strikeouts while converting 20 saves. While he has not been the same guy he's been in past years, contenders desperately need bullpen help, and some are probably very intrigued about the idea of helping him turn things around in their uniform.

Helsley has been insistent in recent days that he wants to remain with the Cardinals and would love to help them win in the future, but recognizing that they are facing either a one-year or multi-year rebuild, he is going to probably be moved in the next few days.

While the Cardinals could explore a reunion with Helsley during free agency this offseason, there is no reason to hold onto him when teams are going to be willing to pay a pretty penny to acquire him for the stretch run. The Cardinals have to bring in prospects at this deadline to help them build toward the future, and Helsley can do that.

I wouldn't hold my breath that Helsley remains a Cardinal at this deadline or returns in the offseason, and if that's the case, it will end a seven-year career with St. Louis that saw some masterful seasons from the flame-throwing right-hander. He's one of the longest-tenured Cardinals remaining on the roster, and finally moving on from Helsley would really start to turn the page onto a new chapter in Cardinals history.