Phillies Trade Idea Sends Two Top-Ten Prospects For Cardinals' Ryan Helsley

Phillies Trade Idea Sends Two Top-Ten Prospects For Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Philadelphia Phillies need bullpen help, badly. With Jordan Romano being a massive disappointment this season, the team needs to add another reliever, especially a righty.

There might be a solid option at this year’s MLB trade deadline. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, a trade idea for the Phillies could land St. Louis Cardinals All-Star closer Ryan Helsley for two prospects.

“He’s in his free-agent walk year, and the Cardinals are still within striking distance.” Bowden writes. “A reasonable return in a trade with the Phillies could be second baseman Aroon Escobar and outfielder Griffin Burkholder.”

Helsley is in the final year of his deal and will be a free agent after this season. If the Phillies trade for him, it’d just be for the remainder of the year, just like what they did with Carlos Esteves a year ago.

While they’d only get half a season out of him, Helsley would be a nice addition to the bullpen. This season, he has a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings pitched, with 18 saves, 35 strikeouts, and 13 walks.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) celebrates a run scored in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

He’s allowed a WHIP of 1.387, the second highest of his MLB career thus far, but he’s still a solid reliever and would be a significant upgrade over Romano, who has a 7.44 ERA this season.

The two players the Phillies are trading are both top ten prospects. Escobar is the sixth-ranked prospect in the organization, and recently, made his debut in the MLB top 100 prospects.

He’s been a steady riser in the Phillies’ farm system, and the 20-year-old could be a significant piece in a deal, like this proposed one from Bowden. Burkholder, meanwhile, is a 19-year-old who was drafted in 2024 by the Phillies and has a .734 OPS in the minor leagues this season.

Both are valuable prospects, and losing both would sting. But the return, two-time All-Star Ryan Helsley, would be a huge addition to the bullpen. He’d help the Phillies make a World Series push and resolve the team’s Romano issues.

This trade idea from Bowden would have the Phillies landing an All-Star closer while sending away two young prospects who have a lot of potential. It’d sting to lose both, but the addition of Helsley could make up for it.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Phillies Trade Idea Sends Two Top-Ten Prospects For Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley

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