The Philadelphia Phillies are gearing up for the final two-month stretch of the season, where they will battle with the New York Mets for the National League East crown. Dave Dombrowski has already been on record saying the front office will trade some of their top prospects for reliever help ahead of the July 31st deadline, which is just over a day away.
While the Phillies haven’t made any official trades, they did acquire David Robertson via free agency, and his 2025 debut should be coming shortly.
At 61-46, and certainly on track to play in October, the Phillies’ roster is built as a “World Series or bust” team. They have some of the game’s biggest stars on both the pitching side and in the lineup, which puts more pressure on the front office to make a big splash within the next day.
Cardinals Closer Ryan Helsley Could Be on the Move
The market for St. Louis Cardinals’ closer Ryan Helsley is growing rapidly, especially after he announced that he expects to be the move. Almost every team that is in a Pennant chase is in on the two-time All-Star. Helsley is set to be a free agent after this season, and with the Cardinals selling their assets on expiring contracts, he would certainly be the biggest get.
The 31-year-old closer has been one of the game’s best for the past several years. He led MLB in saves with 49 last season, and has a career ERA of 2.67 in 299.2 innings pitched. In 2025, his ERA is 3.00 over 36 innings, and he has 41 strikeouts and 21 saves to go along with.
Mark Feinsand reports that Helsley is one of the hottest names on the trade market, with 10-12 potential suitors.
Feinsand also listed Helsey as a player most likely to be traded in an MLB.com article he wrote a few days ago:
“A two-time All-Star, Helsley is one of the top rental closers on the market, with his average 99.3 mph fastball placing him in the 99th percentile of the league. Helsley’s swing-and-miss stuff — he ranks in the 92nd percentile in chase percentage and 80th percentile in whiff percentage — is exactly what many contenders are seeking for their bullpen, and with the Cardinals lingering around .500, St. Louis could look to move him rather than losing him for nothing via free agency.”
Inside the Phillies’ Inconsistent Bullpen
For a Philadelphia Phillies team that has struggled to find a closer who can shut the door, Helsley would be the perfect addition to slot right into that closer role. Philly has eight different players who have recorded a save this season, and nobody in their bullpen has recorded more than eight, and that would be Jordan Romano, who is 8/11 in save opportunities with a 6.81 ERA.
José Alvarado has the second-most saves with seven, but he is ineligible for the postseason due to a PED suspension.
In a deal like this for a player with the caliber of Helsley, the Phillies would likely have to dish out at least a top-10 prospect in a potential deal, and maybe even a position player who is already MLB-ready. However, as Dombrowski already indicated, the Phillies are essentially all-in for this season, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing to sacrifice a couple of prospects for one of the league’s best closers.
Phillies Trade Pitch Lands Much-Needed All-Star Closer