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The Major League Baseball season is getting into full swing and the landscape of the league is beginning to take shape. As a result, some teams are starting to target potential moves to improve their roster or get ready for the future. One player that teams are keeping an eye on is St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
The trade deadline isn't until the final day of July, but some teams are already targeting Helsley for a potential swap. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks are two teams that could be involved in talks for the right-hander, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
“The Philadelphia Phillies, among other teams, already are keeping a close eye on Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, who will likely be dealt by the trade deadline. Yet, the Phillies are adamant they will not include top prospects Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller in any trade,” Nightengale wrote. “The Arizona Diamondbacks, with lefty reliever A.J. Puk sidelined for the foreseeable future, also have interest in Helsley.”
The Cardinals aren't out of any race just yet, but they do sit in fourth place in the NL Central at 12-15. Still, they are just 4.5 games back of the division-leading Chicago Cubs and the Central projects to be the worst division of the three in the National League. As a result, any Helsley deal is likely months away from going down.
The Phillies and Diamondbacks could both use some help in the bullpen as they try to keep pace with some of the best teams in baseball at the top of their respective divisions.
The Phillies are in second in the NL East after about a month of play, but the division-leading New York Mets are the best team in baseball with a stellar 19-8 record. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are in fourth in the NL West with a solid record of 14-13, but the Dodgers, Padres and Giants all have only 10 losses at the top of the division.
The addition of someone like Helsley, who has allowed just four earned runs and eight hits in 10 appearances with four saves, would go a long way toward helping either of those teams close the gap in the playoff race.
