Potential Cardinals-Blue Jays Proposal Cuts Ties With Combined $63M All-Star Duo

The Cardinals likely will shake up the roster in the not-so-distant future

Mar 25, 2023; Dunedin, Florida, USA; A detail view of Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove against the Detroit Tigers at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

If the St. Louis Cardinals have it their way, a few high-priced veterans likely would be playing elsewhere by the time the 2025 season rolls around.

St. Louis is looking to build for the future and unfortunately that likely means at least slightly tearing down the present to add minor league pieces to hopefully help in the future.

Pretty much every Cardinals veteran has been in trade rumors in some capacity this winter. Most of it has just been speculation, but things should start to heat up soon. Two players that have been mentioned in rumors are All-Star closer Ryan Helsley and two-time All-Star Miles Mikolas.

FanSided's Zach Pressnell put together an intriguing hypothetical proposal that would send the duo to the Toronto Blue Jays.

"Blue Jays receive: Receive (right-handed pitcher) Ryan Helsley, (right-handed pitcher) Miles Mikolas, and Cash Considerations (and) Cardinals receive (left-handed pitcher) Ricky Tiedemann and (third baseman/outfielder) Charles McAdoo," Pressnell said. "Obviously, the deal is centered around Helsley. But, in order to lower the prospect capital in return, the Blue Jays would also take on a bad contract, that of Miles Mikolas. The Cardinals would pay around half his remaining contract in this deal. Toronto would have the option to either cut him (likely) or try to plug Mikolas in as the fifth pitcher in their rotation.

"Adding Mikolas as a salary dump would drop the value of the trade, allowing the Blue Jays to send two top 10 prospects to acquire the top closer. The two prospects heading to St. Louis in this deal are left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann and utility man Charles McAdoo."

Mikolas is entering the final year of a three-year, $55 million deal and Helsley is projected to make $8 million in his final year before free agency. If the Cardinals could trade them both for prospects, that would be a plus.

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