The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled a little bit as of late. They recently fell out of first place in the National League East.
However, they are only a half-game back of the New York Mets and have control of the second NL Wild Card spot. They'll certainly be aggressive buyers at the trade deadline, which is now less than a week away.
Their biggest need is bullpen help. Jordan Romano hasn't panned out as their closer, and Jose Alvarado's 80-game PED suspension makes him ineligible for the postseason.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network recently discussed St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley and noted that the Phillies would be an ideal fit for him.
"You think about the teams out there that are looking for bullpen help. I would mention right away, the Philadelphia Phillies," Morosi said. "Even though Helsley is a rental, I do believe they would be very aggressive in trying to get Helsley in a trade like this."
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Helsley is 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA in 35 appearances and has recorded 20 saves. Last year, he was the NL Reliever of the Year after saving 49 games with St. Louis.
The Cardinals are likely to be sellers and will ask for some top prospects in exchange for Helsley. Fortunately, the Phillies have a deep farm system.
They did recently sign David Robertson, but he'll need time to ramp up and prepare for the stretch run of the 2025, as he was left untouched all offseason long. Helsley would instantly boost the Phillies bullpen.
This would give them a chance to pull back in front of the Mets and potentially win their second straight NL East title, even if they have to give up some top prospects for a rental.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Helsley's market develops.
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