Ryan Helsley vs. Phil Maton: Which one should the Cardinals trade?

The case for trading Phil Maton

This really depends on if they stay in the race. If the Cardinals do stay in contention, then they'll likely want to hold onto one of the top closers in the game. Trading Maton would make more sense.

They can still get a decent haul of prospects for him. Not to the degree that they would if Helsley were to be traded, but it could still be solid. Better yet, Maton could be used to help the Cardinals upgrade other areas of their roster, such as the starting rotation.

They could potentially find another contender that needs a bullpen arm and make a need-for-need trade. That way, Helsley is still closing games if they're in contention, they still restock the farm system and also upgrade an area of need.

The Cardinals could potentially get the best of both worlds here. Maton's cheap contract also makes him an attractive asset, so it wouldn't be the worst thing to trade him instead of Helsley.