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The Detroit Tigers finally broke through on Sunday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays. Detroit put 10 on the Blue Jays to win just their second game over their last 14. Sunday's game did show that Detroit needs to acquire bullpen help, though. And the Tigers have a good trade candidate in St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
Helsley has been a good closer through the majority of his career. In 2024, he was dominant, pitching to a 2.04 ERA in 65 games while striking out 79 hitters and walking 23. Helsley has been hit around a little bit in 2025. In saying this, he owns a 3.00 ERA this season in St. Louis while appearing in 36 games.
Detroit has had some good results from its bullpen at times this season. Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest formed one of the more formidable late-inning duos in the league, in fact. However, the team's bullpen has gone sideways in recent games, with Kahnle at the forefront. With this in mind, there is a trade proposal that sees the Tigers adding Helsley to the back end of their bullpen.
Tigers-Cardinals trade proposal
In this proposal, the Detroit Tigers would acquire Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals. In return, the Cardinals would receive second base prospect Max Anderson and right-handed pitching prospect Tyler Mattison.
Detroit needs lockdown closer
The Tigers, for the most part, have had an effective bullpen in 2025. That said, there were some worrying signs even before the recent collapse over the last two weeks. The main red flag was that Detroit's bullpen doesn't strike many hitters out.
The Tigers' bullpen ranks 19th in MLB for strikeouts. Hitters are making contact with pitches thrown by Detroit relievers. And this has led to some unfortunate situations for Detroit. The team's bullpen owns the 11th-highest ERA in MLB with a 4.24 mark. They've allowed the fourth-most hits, sixth-most home runs, and seventh-most runs.
Helsley is not has dominant as he was last season. And he is a rental piece at this time. However, he would shore up a bullpen that needs the help. He would immediately be one of their best swing-and-miss options in the late innings. And the Tigers coaching staff could find a way make Helsley's devastating fastball an out pitch once again.
The Tigers have a chance to win the World Series in 2025. However, they need to make some moves between now and the MLB Trade Deadline to do so. Adding Helsley to their bullpen is the first step toward a potential championship in the Motor City.
Ryan Helsley trade could boost St. Louis farm system
The Cardinals are in a bit of an interesting position. Unlike other potential sellers, St. Louis is not near the bottom of the league. In fact, they could head into the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline with a winning record. They currently own a record of 54-53 after a loss on Sunday.
However, their playoff chances aren't guaranteed. Furthermore, there is no guarantee Helsley returns to the Cardinals in 2026. As a result, they will likely put the veteran closer on the trade market and see what his value is.
In this trade proposal, the Cardinals receive two prospects. Max Anderson is an infield prospect who primarily plays second, but is seeing time at third as well. He has a quick swing that could see him hit the ball all over the field. Mattison, meanwhile, is a pitcher who may be knocking on the door of MLB soon.
Both players could realistically make the big leagues, and play a vital role. Losing a player like Helsley always stings to some extent. But this gives the Cardinals a chance to build for the future while improving the depth of the farm system.
