The St. Louis Cardinals have been in the rumor mill throughout the season, with the trade deadline on July 31. However, the club is playing rather well, as St. Louis is just five games behind the first-placed Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Amid the trade rumors, one All-Star on the team is said to be interested in negotiating a new contract with the organization.

Reports indicate that Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is ready to negotiate a new deal, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. There have been rumors that St. Louis could trade the 30-year-old star; however, with how well the team is playing, the front office could elect to re-sign him for the long term.

“There's a lot packed into this series of questions,” Goold said. “Let's try to tackle it one by one. 1) At last check, they are not, but that does not mean that the ship has passed. Helsley remains open to that conversation, and as long as he is open to it, the possibility exists for the team to engage in the talks. 2) The highest paid reliever right now is around $20m, and believe you're looking at more than $16m for Helsley, so adjust the offer accordingly around a 4-year, 5th option or 5-year deal.”

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Helsley is currently due to hit the free agent market after this season. If he does, it's expected he'd fetch plenty of attention from numerous teams around the league. The Cardinals are currently in the mix for a potential playoff spot, assuming they can remain on top of the rankings. But losing a star closer like Helsley without getting anything in return is seemingly something St. Louis is thinking about.

Ryan Helsley is in the middle of another fantastic season on the mound for the Cardinals. Through 21.0 innings pitched, he's recording a 3.00 ERA and 1.429 WHIP while totaling 23 strikeouts and 13 saves.