Cardinals Predicted To Trade $81 Million Pitcher To Shocking NL Contender

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The St. Louis Cardinals have seemingly entered a full-scale rebuild. Surprisingly, they’ve held onto star closer Ryan Helsley up to this point, but that will likely change as the season draws closer. St. Louis is rebuilding and Helsley’s contract expires at the end of the 2025 season. He’s projected to sign an $81 million deal in free agency, per Spotrac, but it likely won’t be with St. Louis. If the Cardinals want to boost their rebuild, trading him makes a lot of sense. Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report recently predicted the Cardinals would trade him. Rymer put together a trade package that would send the star closer to the Arizona Diamondbacks. ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – APRIL 24: Ryan Helsley #56 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after recording the final out of the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium on April 24, 2024 in… ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – APRIL 24: Ryan Helsley #56 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after recording the final out of the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium on April 24, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images Here’s the deal pitched by Rymer to bring the flamethrowing closer to Arizona: “According to Mark Feinsand, John Denton, and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, one of the teams interested (in Helsley) is the Diamondbacks. And they darn well should be,” Rymer wrote. “Though they’ve fortified a rotation that was a weakness in 2024, they have yet to do the same with a bullpen that was a major drain on their win probability. “A trade for Helsley would not only plug the leak but also turn the pen into a potential strength. The Snakes don’t have a ton to barter with, but they could try to appeal to the Cardinals by offering a prospect who could be put to work right away in St. Louis.” The Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world once this winter after shockingly entering the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes and stealing the ace from the rest of the league. A trade for Helsley would elevate them even higher in the National League West. It’s moves like these that would help a team compete with the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers. More MLB: Red Sox Predicted To Acquire $52 Million Gold Glover In Blockbuster Trade