The St. Louis Cardinals have some tough decisions to make at the trade deadline this year. They could either buy, hold, or mix buying and selling if they remain in the postseason race.
The team has outperformed their expectations and are just three games back in the National League Central. They also are in possession of the final Wild Card spot.
But what they'll do at the trade deadline is unclear. One of their top potential trade candidates is All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.
However, Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that they are unlikely to trade him unless they fall out of the race.
"St. Louis may receive such a strong offer that it feels compelled to move Helsley. But initial internal conversations have suggested the opposite. The Cardinals may feel inclined to hold on to Helsley and decide on his future at the end of the season, and weigh the risk of losing out on a return if he walks in free agency. This situation is likely to fluctuate throughout the next few weeks," Woo wrote.
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Helsley saved 49 games last season, setting a Cardinals franchise record. That was enough for him to be named the NL Reliever of the Year.
St. Louis wasted a great opportunity to trade him in the offseason while his value was at an all-time high, and while his value remains high, the Cardinals seemingly would rather hold onto him than trade him.
They could still bring back a solid haul for him, as teams tend to overpay for rental relievers at the trade deadline. But the Cardinals may feel that it's prudent to hold onto him as long as they remain in contention.
However, if they take a nosedive, then a Helsley trade will very much be on the table for St. Louis. They are locked in a four-team race in the NL Central.
Other trade candidates include Erick Fedde, Steven Matz and Phil Maton, and the Cardinals could bring back decent returns for all three if they do any selling.
It will be interesting to see how St. Louis operates in the coming weeks.
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