Cardinals Reportedly Have Received Trade Inquiries Regarding Star Hurler

A St. Louis flamethrower is likely to be dealt this summer

Jul 27, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) delivers a / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are fighting to turn things around after a tumultuous start to the season and can hopefully avoid having to be sellers at the trade deadline.

The Cardinals currently sit in fourth place in the National League Central with a 20-26 record and are seven games back from the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. If St. Louis is still in this position two months from now, we can expect them to trade away talent like they did at last year's deadline.

In a situation where the Cardinals are sellers come August 1, there's a star pitcher who is at the top of the list to be traded, and teams are already preparing to deal for him.

"Teams have already been calling the Cardinals about Ryan Helsley, who is one of the best closers in baseball," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote Monday. "The Cardinals will ask for a haul in exchange, but because they have so many needs on their roster, a trade is possible if not likely."

Helsley has posted a 2-2 record with a 1.35 ERA, 23-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .205 batting average against and an impressive 0.85 WHIP in 20 innings pitched so far this season.

The 27-year-old has been dominant since solidifying his role as the closing pitcher for the Cardinals -- even earning himself NL Reliever of the Month for his stellar performance throughout the end of March and all of April.

This isn't the first time Helsley's been mentioned as a potential trade candidate. The flamethrower is under team control through 2025 and could potentially give the Cardinals a slew of top prospects in return if traded.

However, if the Cardinals can turn things around and look to be playoff contenders by the trade deadline, perhaps trading him wouldn't be in the club's best interest. Hopefully, St. Louis can get back to the top of their division in time and save their closer from having to be traded.

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