Cardinals-Yankees Surprising Mock Deal Would Land 2-Time All-Star

Will the Cardinals deal the star closer away?

Jul 12, 2020; Bronx, New York, United States; A view of the New York Yankees logo and seat number of an empty seat during a simulated game during summer camp workouts at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Will the St. Louis Cardinals trade away one of their best pitchers this offseason?

Most of the trade chatter this offseason has been about Nolan Arenado but there are other players who could be intriguing trade pieces. Star closer Ryan Helsley is someone who was mentioned as a potential trade chip.

He has one year to go until free agency. The Cardinals are looking to "reset" the team for 2025 and therefore don't necessarily need a dominant closer. If the Cardinals don't plan on making a run at a playoff spot, it could make sense to flip him for other pieces.

Newsweek's Zach Pressnell took this into account and put together a hypothetical mock deal that would send Helsley to the New York Yankees in a package that would bring Marcus Stroman to St. Louis.

"Here's a deal that could bring Helsley to the Bronx in a trade centered around Stroman: New York Yankees receive: RHP Ryan Helsley, RHP Miles Mikolas (and) St. Louis Cardinals receive: RHP Marcus Stroman, RHP Chase Hampton (No. 6 prospect)," Pressnell said. "There are multiple wrinkles to this deal. First, let's look at the swap of Miles Mikolas for Stroman. Mikolas would head to the Bronx and get cut. The Yankees could eat the rest of his contract while the Cardinals take on Stroman, who has a vesting option in 2026.

"This takes a year of financial stress off the Yankees while giving the Cardinals a better pitcher. The other half of the trade is the Cardinals' closer for the Yankees sixth-ranked prospect Chase Hampton. Hampton, 23, has multiple dominant pitches that allow him to beat hitters in a lot of different ways. He's been dominant in his professional career and projects as a front-end-of-the-rotation starter down the line."

The Yankees already have landed one star closer this offseason in Devin Williams. An eighth and ninth-inning combo of Williams and Helsley would be the best in baseball. It would be somewhat surprising to see them get a deal done, but it would be interesting.

If the Cardinals could land Stroman and Schmidt, that would give the Cardinals some important pitching. Why not?

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