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Yankees Acquire Jake Bird

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4:27pm: The deal has been officially announced. Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz was designated for assignment to make room for Bird on the 40-man roster. De La Cruz did not appear in a game with the Yankees but hit .191/.240/.213 in 16 games with Atlanta earlier this year.

2:42pm: The Yankees are reportedly in agreement to acquire reliever Jake Bird from the Rockies for two minor leaguers. Second baseman Roc Riggio and pitcher Ben Shields are going back to Colorado.

Bird is the second, lower-profile bullpen pickup for the Yanks this afternoon. They’re adding two-time All-Star David Bednar in a deal with the Pirates. While Bednar will join Devin Williams and Luke Weaver at the back of the bullpen, Bird projects more as a middle relief type. The 29-year-old righty has a 4.57 earned run average over parts of four seasons with the Rox. That includes a 4.73 mark across 53 1/3 innings this year, though he’s only a few weeks removed from what seemed to be a breakout season.

Through the end of June, Bird was sitting on a 2.68 ERA across 47 innings. He had punched out 29.1% of batters faced while getting ground-balls at a 48% rate. The past few weeks have been a disaster. Bird has been rocked for 15 runs on 16 hits and four walks with five strikeouts in his last 6 1/3 innings. It’s an unfortunate way to end his Colorado tenure.

Bird has been durable and logged almost 90 innings out of Bud Black’s bullpen a couple seasons ago. He has gotten above-average grounder rates in all four MLB seasons — a common trait for Yankee relievers — and has still shown decent swing-and-miss stuff this year. He’s a three-pitch pitcher who sits around 94 MPH with his fastball and leans most often on a mid-80s breaking ball. The horrendous past few weeks didn’t completely detract from Bird’s strong start to the season.

This is Colorado’s second significant trade of deadline season — both of which have involved the Yankees. They sent third baseman Ryan McMahon to the Bronx last week. While the McMahon trade also involved a significant contract changing hands, Bird won’t cost the Yankees much financially. He’s in his final pre-arbitration season and controllable for three years after this. Bird doesn’t have any kind of closing experience that tends to lead to significant arbitration earnings for a reliever. He should be fairly cheap throughout the arbitration window.

The McMahon and Bird trades demonstrate that Colorado is more willing to deal controllable pieces than they’ve been in past seasons. They’re trending towards the worst season in modern history and have a tough time justifying making anyone untouchable. Riggio placed 22nd on Baseball America’s writeup of Yankee prospects, while he checked in 10th in the system at MLB Pipeline. Shields ranked 28th at MLB Pipeline and was not in the top 30 at BA. Both players will not be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until after the ’26 season.

Riggio, a left-handed hitting second baseman, has split the season between High-A and Double-A. He has put together a huge .264/.370/.567 slash between the two levels. Riggio has taken walks at a strong 12.2% clip while striking out at a league average 22.2% rate. He has drilled 18 home runs, 14 doubles and a triple. A fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2023, Riggio is viewed as a bat-first player. Scouting reports question his pure hitting ability, but there’s no question he’s putting together a huge statistical season in the minors.

Shields is a 6’4″ left-handed pitcher who went undrafted out of George Mason in 2023. Despite lacking amateur pedigree, Shields has put together a solid minor league résumé. He posted a 3.48 ERA in 26 minor league appearances a season ago. He missed the first few months of this season due to injury but has since returned to start five games with Double-A Somerset. He has turned in a 3.42 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 23 2/3 innings. Shields is already 26 and facing mostly younger competition, but MLB Pipeline credits him with a potential plus slider. He could be short-term rotation or long relief depth for the Rockies.

Jack Curry of The YES Network first reported the Yankees were acquiring Bird. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com had Colorado’s return.

Image courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images.

Latest On Marlins Pitchers, Outfielders

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2:38pm: MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reports that the Yankees have pitched the Marlins on a potential package deal involving Alcantara and Bender.

10:25am: All eyes are on Sandy Alcantara today, with less than seven hours to go until the MLB trade deadline.  The former Cy Young winner sports an ugly post-Tommy John 6.36 ERA in 21 starts, but he has totaled 12 scoreless innings in his last two starts against the Padres and Cardinals.

Alcantara is controlled through 2027 by virtue of the contract extension he signed over three years ago.  The Astros and Red Sox were linked to him yesterday, while the Mets, Padres, and Cubs are among those previously connected.  This morning, Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds another potential suitor: the Yankees.

The Yankees have Luis Gil set to make his season debut Sunday against the Marlins following his spring lat strain, which may send Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A (if the latter isn’t included in a trade today).  Gil will join veterans Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman, as well as Will Warren.  As Greg Joyce of the New York Post wrote yesterday, a rotation acquisition by the Yankees would force a choice between Warren and Stroman.

With a competitive balance tax payroll around $314MM after additions of Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, and Austin Slater, the Yankees face a 110% tax on every dollar they add this summer.  Alcantara is earning $17MM this year and next, with a club option for 2027.  Acquiring Alcantara would mean adding more than $6MM to the Yankees’ CBT ledger for this year, plus a tax of around $6.7MM.

Teams seeking starting pitching are also intrigued by hard-throwing Marlins righty Edward Cabrera.  Cabrera, 27, is having a better season than Alcantara and is under team control through 2028 at much lower (expected) salaries than Alcantara.  As such, it makes sense that the Yankees are interested in Cabrera, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports today with five hours left until the deadline.  The Marlins are eyeing powerful Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones, notes Morosi.  According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, “interest in both Alcantara and Cabrera is very high.”

Sammon also notes that a pair of Marlins righty relievers are drawing interest in Ronny Henriquez and Calvin Faucher.  Henriquez’s 32.4 K% ranks 20th among relievers this year, and he’s been mentioned as an under-the-radar trade candidate by MLBTR several times this month.  Given that Henriquez was a February waiver claim who had limited MLB experience with the Twins, he’s under team control through 2030.

As you might expect, Sammon reports that Faucher is more likely to be traded today.  Faucher, 30 in September, has a 3.73 ERA, 23.2 K%, and 10.7 BB% this year with a 44.2% groundball rate.  He’s less intriguing than Henriquez, but is under control through 2029.  Righty Anthony Bender has also been in rumors this month.

Finally, Sammon points out that Marlins outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Dane Myers are also drawing interest.  Sanchez, 28 in October, is under team control through 2027.  He’s a left-handed hitter who has a slightly above average 104 wRC+ since 2023, though against righties he’s at 119 during that time.  Myers, a December 2022 waiver claim from the Tigers, is under team control through ’29.  He’s a righty hitter who can serve as a lefty masher, given his 141 wRC+ against southpaws in 172 plate appearances dating back to 2023.

Sanchez has been playing right field for the Marlins, often sitting against lefties.  Myers has been taking most starts in center, occasionally sharing with Javier Sanoja.

Yankees, Pirates Discussing David Bednar Trade

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The Yankees and Pirates are in talks on a trade that would send closer David Bednar from Pittsburgh to the Bronx, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. New York is seen by others pursuing Bednar as a front-runner to acquire him, though a deal is not yet in place. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds that the Bucs are still discussing Bednar with several clubs, but the Yankees consider him their top option.

Bednar, 30, is one of the top controllable relievers on the market. The hard-throwing 6’1″ righty is making $5.9MM this season and is under club control for one more year. He’s owed about $1.87MM of that sum for the balance of the season, though the Yankees would pay a 110% luxury tax on him, making the total financial outlay closer to $3.9MM.

A former All-Star, Bednar struggled through a brutal 2024 season and had a rough start to his 2025 campaign. The Bucs optioned him to Triple-A in late March, and Bednar has been an absolute behemoth since returning. In 37 frames, he’s posted a dazzling 1.70 ERA with a 34.5% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. It’s some of the best work of Bednar’s career — even better than what had been a 2021-23 peak that saw him post a combined 2.25 ERA, 31.2% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.

Bednar surely holds extra appeal for the Yankees, given that additional season of club control. Top relievers like Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are both set to reach free agency at season’s end. Bednar would be able to pitch in any high-leverage role necessary in 2025 and could step into the ninth inning for the 2026 season, depending on whether Williams and/or Weaver are retained.

The Pirates have looked into trading Bednar in the past, though he’s a Pittsburgh native and favorite of owner Bob Nutting, who has reportedly intervened in some of his front office’s past discussions surrounding a Bednar trade. With the Pirates in the midst of another disappointing season and already having dismissed manager Derek Shelton, it’s seen as more likely that ownership will step to the side and let the front office earnestly explore the possibility.

The Rangers, Tigers, Phillies and Dodgers have all reportedly shown interest in Bednar this month as well, although the Phillies are likely done adding to the ’pen after acquiring Jhoan Duran, and the Tigers have already acquired a trio of veteran relievers (Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero, Paul Sewald).

Latest On Twins’ Deadline Plans

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The Twins have already moved Chris Paddack and Jhoan Duran, but they’re expected to remain active on the selling front right up until this afternoon’s deadline. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that as of last night, Minnesota was far more focused on negotiations pertaining to relievers Danny Coulombe and Brock Stewart than on anything involving top starter Joe Ryan, who still seems like a long shot to move. Meanwhile, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Twins have had about six clubs looking into utilityman Willi Castro and haven’t ruled out trading righty Griffin Jax even after moving Duran — but the price remains extremely high.

Coulombe is one of the most straightforward trade candidates on the market. He’s a rental reliever on a clear seller who’s having a terrific season while playing on a low-cost contract. He signed a one-year, $3MM deal to return to the Twins in the offseason and has rewarded that investment with a 1.16 ERA, 25.4% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate in 31 innings. He’s thrived versus lefties and righties alike. It’d be a surprise if Coulombe somehow wasn’t traded before today’s deadline.

Stewart, 33, isn’t necessarily as likely to go but could have some sneaky value. He’s 33 years old and has had plenty of injury concerns in his career, including Tommy John surgery while with the Dodgers and shoulder surgery with the Twins just last year.

That said, when Stewart has been healthy in Minnesota, he’s been excellent. He’s pitched 77 1/3 innings since landing with the Twins on a minor league deal in the 2022-23 offseason, and in that time he’s posted a 2.33 ERA with a huge 31.7% strikeout rate and a 9.5% walk rate. Stewart is sitting 96.1 mph on his four-seamer this year and has run his heater up to 100 mph at times. He’s sporting an outstanding 15.1% swinging-strike rate and has a massive 16.5% mark over the past three seasons combined.

The Twins don’t need to move Stewart, who’s earning just $870K this year and has two seasons of club control remaining. However, as a reliever in his mid-30s who was originally added on a minor league deal, there’s a bit of a “found money” aspect to the hard-throwing righty. His lengthy history of arm troubles also surely has to tempt the Twins to sell high right now, while he’s performing well. Stewart isn’t going to garner headlines like Duran, Jax and other controllable arms on the relief market (e.g. David Bednar, Mason Miller), but he’s quietly posted high-end results at near league-minimum salary.

Castro feels like another surefire trade candidate today. Like Coulombe and Stewart, he was originally signed by the Twins on a minor league deal before revitalizing his career in Minnesota. He’s hitting .245/.335/.407 with 10 homers and nine steals in 344 plate appearances on the season and has slashed .250/.335/.398 in his three years as a Twin.

The switch-hitting Castro is earning $6.4MM in 2025 and is a free agent at season’s end. He’s a 28-year-old with average power and above-average speed who can handle just about any position on the field. He’s played second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots in 2025, though he’s stretched defensively at shortstop or in center field and is more of a backup option than a candidate for regular playing time at those positions. Given his versatility, Castro would deepen any contending club’s bench, and he’d be a starting option for several playoff contenders. The Mariners, Yankees and Astros have all shown interest this month, though the first two of those teams have obviously added some new infield options already, which could impact their current level of interest in Castro.

With Duran out the door and Coulombe and Stewart possibly following him, a trade of Jax would really deplete the Twins’ bullpen. The Twins will remain open to the idea, it seems, but they’re not likely to deviate from their asking price. They’ve been seeking multiple top-100 prospects for both Duran and Jax. They secured a strong return for Duran (catching prospect Eduardo Tait and MLB-ready starter Mick Abel) and will hold out for the same with regard to Jax.

The 31-year-old Jax is a former third-round pick. A look at his 4.50 ERA isn’t going to turn any heads, but the right-hander posted a 2.03 ERA last season and misses bats more than nearly any pitcher in the game. His 36.4% strikeout rate is fifth in all of baseball among the 293 pitchers (starter and relievers alike) with at least 40 innings pitched this season. His 19.5% swinging-strike rate sits third, trailing only Josh Hader and Aroldis Chapman. Jax’s 1.97 SIERA ranks second in baseball, trailing only the 1.96 mark of breakout Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez.

Jax is under club control for two more years beyond the current season. He had a brutal outing yesterday — three runs without recording an out — but even including that tough day has a 3.08 ERA and 1.49 FIP in 38 innings dating back to late April. He’s the clear favorite to close games for the Twins moving forward. The Yankees are among the clubs looking into Jax, Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests, and the Mariners have been in the mix as well.

Padres, Twins Among Teams Interested In J.C. Escarra

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Reports earlier in July indicated that J.C. Escarra was drawing trade interest, and Francys Romero writes that the Padres and Twins are two of the clubs most recently asking about the Yankees catcher.  Escarra was optioned to Triple-A just today, leaving Austin Wells and Ben Rice as the catching options on New York’s active roster, and underlining the team’s depth at the position.

Escarra earned his first taste of MLB playing time by making the team out of Spring Training, and acting as Wells’ primary backup while Rice has seen more time at DH and first base than behind the plate.  The backstop’s chief calling card has been his outstanding framing ability, even if his blocking and caught-stealing numbers leave much to be desired.

Escarra’s first 97 career plate appearances in the Show have seen him hit .205/.299/.337, with a .217 BABIP that is perhaps obscuring some better production.  Though Escarra isn’t making much hard contact, he is making a lot of contact period, as he has almost as many walks (11) as strikeouts (14).  His hitting record beyond the majors is inconsistent, but Escarrra hit well at the Triple-A level in 2024, and he got himself on the Yankees’ radar after crushing the ball in 2022-23 during stints in the independent leagues and in the Mexican League.

Given this journeyman background, Escarra is basically found money for the Yankees, so he may be expendable given the team’s other available catchers at both the MLB and minor league levels.  Wells, Rice, and Escarra are the only catchers with any big league experience in the organization, though another veteran could be signed to a minors contract to provide some depth if Escarra did get moved.

The appeal is obvious for the Padres, whose cumulative -0.7 bWAR from the catching position is the lowest in the majors.  With Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado providing almost nothing, the Padres would have little to lose in seeing what Escarra can do with some regular playing time.  San Diego has one of the lowest strikeout rates of any team in baseball, so Escarra’s high-contact ways are a fit with the Padres’ approach.

Diaz and Maldonado are both free agents after the season.  The Twins have Ryan Jeffers arbitration-controlled through 2026 but Christian Vazquez is an impending free agent.  Like with San Diego, Minnesota’s catching position has also been a weak link, with Jeffers, Vazquez, and (for one game) Mickey Gasper combining for 0.3 bWAR.

At age 30, Escarra may not exactly be a long-term prospect, but he is controllable through the 2030 season.  Either the Padres or Twins could see the catcher as a fairly inexpensive upgrade to their needs behind the plate both this year and in the future.  The Twins are in seller mode, and such players as Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Griffin Jax, and Danny Coulombe have been linked to New York in recent rumors.  It isn’t known if these Minnesota players could still be on the radar or not, as the Yankees’ acquisitions of Amed Rosario and Austin Slater specifically might’ve made Castro or Bader redundant.

Yankees, Mets, Phillies Have Discussed Mason Miller With A’s

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The Yankees, Mets, and Phillies have all engaged in talks with the Athletics regarding closer Mason Miller, reports The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. This update comes 10 days after USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported in no uncertain terms that Miller was off the market. While Rosenthal does not suggest a trade is likely, it seems the A’s are at least entertaining offers.

Any conversations between the A’s and Phillies may have been brief. Rosenthal notes the A’s asked for Philadelphia’s top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, in return for Miller. But as Rosenthal and colleague Matt Gelb reported earlier today, the Phillies “refuse to even entertain the thought of moving Painter.” Rosenthal and Gelb suggested that the Phillies’ refusal to part with Painter likely eliminates them from the market for Miller or Twins closer Jhoan Duran.

Rosenthal also throws a bit of cold water on the Yankees connection. The A’s, he explains, are seeking top-tier young arms (hence their interest in Painter). Meanwhile, he mentions that the Yankees are “more focused on adding pitching than subtracting it.” In other words, the A’s are presumably seeking close-to-MLB-ready pitchers (as their interest in Painter implies), and the Yankees, who have learned a lot about the value of pitching depth this season, might not be willing to part with the sort of players who meet the Athletics’ criteria.

As for the Mets, they might not be quite as interested in Miller after they dealt for Tyler Rogers this afternoon. Rogers might not have Miller’s closing experience, high ceiling, or years of team control, but he’s arguably having a better season than Miller, and he and Edwin Díaz give the Mets a strong one-two pairing of right-handers at the back end of their bullpen. The Mets also traded for left-hander Gregory Soto last week, so they might now prefer to focus their efforts on improvements in other areas.

All this to say, the chances of Miller being moved this summer still seem slim, but it might not be out of the question. Perhaps if fellow closers Duran or Ryan Helsley fetch a high enough price for the Twins and Cardinals, respectively, the Athletics will be convinced to take advantage of a relatively weak trade market and the high number of contenders seeking bullpen help.

Featured image courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images.

MLBTR Podcast: Megapod Trade Deadline Preview

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss various trade deadline topics, including…

Check out our past episodes!

  • David Robertson, Trade Chips For The O’s and A’s, And What The Rangers Could Do – listen here
  • Rays’ Ownership, The Phillies Target Bullpen Help, And Bubble Teams – listen here
  • Firings in Washington, Bad Braves, And An AL East Shake-Up – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke, Imagn Images

White Sox Trade Austin Slater To Yankees

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The Yankees have upgraded their bench and added some outfield depth, announcing Tuesday that they’ve acquired outfielder Austin Slater from the White Sox. The Yankees are sending minor league right-hander Gage Ziehl back to Chicago in return. It’s a one-for-one swap.

Slater, 32, is a reserve outfielder who’s played all three spots and posted good numbers against left-handed pitching — both in 2025 and throughout his nine-year career in the majors. He’s hitting .236/.299/.423 in 135 plate appearances this year, including .261/.338/.552 versus left-handers. In 1006 career plate appearances versus lefties, the righty-swinging Slater is a .270/.362/.436 hitter.

Slater is playing the season on a one-year, $1.75MM deal, though he’s already tacked on $100K worth of incentives based on games played and plate appearances. He could feasibly tack on another $175K by reaching 75 games played and 200 plate appearances. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.

Though he’s not likely to step into an everyday role, Slater is an affordable means of complementing switch-hitting left fielder Jasson Dominguez, who’s slashing .284/.354/.456 versus right-handed pitching but just .207/.286/.299 versus left-handed opponents. Much the same way that the Yankees acquired Amed Rosario to platoon with new third baseman Ryan McMahon, Slater can share time with Dominguez moving forward.

The Yankees are currently without MVP candidate Aaron Judge, who was recently placed on the injured list due to a forearm strain. A precise timetable for a return remains unclear, but it’s expected Judge will be limited to DH work when he initially returns. Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger will be the primary outfield trio while Judge is on the mend. Grisham, like Dominguez, struggles against left-handed pitching.

Ziehl, 22, was the Yankees’ fourth-round pick in 2024. He’s spent the bulk of the year in A-ball but was just bumped up to Double-A. The Miami product has posted a combined 4.15 ERA with a 20.2% strikeout rate and 4% walk rate in 86 1/3 innings. Baseball America ranked Ziehl 18th among Yankees prospects on their midseason update of the system just last week. He’s a three-pitch starter whose fastball can climb to 97 mph. Ziehl pairs that pitch with a slider and changeup that both draw average or better grades.

Jack Curry of the YES Network first reported the trade.

Yankees Interested In Andrew Heaney

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The Yankees have interest in Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman adds that the Yankees, and the Mets, have checked in on Joe Ryan of the Twins and MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals. However, he downplays the likelihood of anything coming from those pursuits. Similarly, Heyman mentions that the Yankees reached out to the Pirates about Oneil Cruz but says nothing is likely to come from that either.

The Yankees have been connected to plenty of starting pitchers recently. That includes some potentially notable upgrades like Dylan Cease or Mitch Keller, as well as more back-end types like Chris Paddack, who was traded from the Twins to the Tigers yesterday.

Heaney is more in the latter category at this stage of his career. He’s had some tantalizing strikeout stuff in the past but that’s not the case this year. In 107 innings for the Pirates, he has a 4.79 earned run average and a subpar 17.2% strikeout rate.

His season got off to a strong start but he’s been in a rough slide lately. Through his first 14 starts, he had a 3.33 ERA, though with a subpar 18.5% strikeout rate. He was getting a bit of help from his .234 batting average on balls in play and 81.8% strand rate. His FIP and SIERA were both 4.44 for that span, suggesting those metrics thought it was a mirage. They were proven correct when Heaney posted an 8.79 ERA over his next six starts.

It’s not the most exciting set of numbers but the Yanks might just want a veteran to take the ball every five days. As mentioned, they were interested in Paddack, who has similar numbers to Heaney this year. Paddack posted a 4.95 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate before his trade.

The Yankees have lost Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery but still have a strong one-two atop the rotation in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. They have been without Luis Gil all year so far but he’s on the cusp of a return. Will Warren is having a good season on the whole. Adding a vet would allow the Yanks to perhaps move Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A or bump Marcus Stroman to long relief or off the roster.

It’s been a rough stretch for the Yankees, as they have fallen into a tight Wild Card race. Entering today, they are only a game and a half ahead of the Rangers, who are the top team not currently in possession of a playoff spot. Heaney wouldn’t be in the club’s planned playoff rotation but he could upgrade the staff for the stretch run. Schlittler has just two big league outings under his belt while Stroman has a 6.08 ERA in his eight starts this year.

Heaney shouldn’t cost much in terms of prospect capital and is also making just $5.25MM this year. There’s now less than $1.75MM of that still to be paid out. Since the Yankees are a third-time competitive balance tax payor and are over the top tier, they face a 110% tax on any additional spending.

The Yankees could pursue a more impactful upgrade and it seems like they have looked into the possibility. However, all reports have suggested that a trade of either Gore or Ryan would be a long shot. Both pitchers are affordably controlled for two years after this season, making them very valuable to their respective clubs. It would likely take a massive prospect haul to pry either player loose. It’s basically the same story with Cruz, who is controlled for three seasons after this one.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Rangers, Yankees Among Teams Interested In Ryan Helsley

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As the Cardinals head into the deadline as likely sellers, a handful of the club’s players are getting significant attention on the trade market. Of the team’s major pieces, no player is more likely to be moved than closer Ryan Helsley, a free agent after the 2025 season. The Dodgers and Mets have already been connected to Helsley in some capacity this summer, while the Phillies were known to have interest in the closer earlier this year and the Blue Jays were among the clubs to check in on his availability this past offseason. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that all four of those teams remain current suitors for Helsley, and adds two more interested teams to the pile: the Rangers and the Yankees.

Helsley, 31, is arguably the best rental reliever on the trade market this summer. A two-time All-Star, Helsley sports a strong resume as one of the top closers in the sport. He’s posted a 2.03 ERA with a 2.55 FIP across 203 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2022 season. Along the way, he’s picked up 102 saves and struck out batters at a 32.9% clip. It’s an undeniably elite profile, and while his 2025 numbers may not be quite on that level he’s still been fantastic for the Cardinals this year. In 36 innings of work, Helsley has posted a 3.00 ERA with a 26.1% strikeout rate and converted 21 saves in 26 opportunities. Those five blown saves have already matched a career high, but Helsley still figures to be very attractive in a market where other rental closers like Raisel Iglesias and Kenley Jansen come with blemishes of their own.

There are other relievers who are surely more attractive than Helsley available, but each of those elite closers come with team control beyond the 2025 season and as such will cost significantly more in terms of prospect capital. Helsley could be a more affordable option for clubs who balk at the prices of Jhoan Duran, David Bednar, Pete Fairbanks and others—particularly after Guardians closer and likely trade candidate Emmanuel Clase was effectively taken off the market by a sports betting investigation. Clase’s exit from that market will likely further incentivize other clubs with controllable relief talent to keep their prices elevated, and reporting earlier today suggests that the Pirates are asking interested clubs for a package headlined by a prospect within that their organization’s top five in exchange for Bednar.

That could make Helsley a particularly intriguing addition for clubs that aren’t especially keen to give up top talent, and the Yankees and Rangers may both fall into that bucket to some degree. There have been some signals that Aaron Judge’s elbow injury has pushed the club to consider being less aggressive than usual this summer, and when teams would surely be asking for top talents like George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones in exchange for top controllable relief arms it could make sense for the Yankees to prioritize a more affordable rental player like Helsley. On the other hand, with Devin Williams already in the fold the club may be comfortable looking at relievers without Helsley’s closing experience like Danny Coulombe or perhaps even teammate Phil Maton.

The Rangers, meanwhile, appear to be leaning heavily towards buying and have already been connected to Bednar today. Texas has no established closer in the fold so, someone like Helsley to lock down the ninth inning could be very valuable for them. With that said, the team has a solid but not excellent 47.9% chance of making the playoffs according to Fangraphs. Another complicating factor is the luxury tax, which ownership appears determined to avoid paying into this year. Helsley’s $8.2MM salary is hardly exorbitant and the Rangers would only have to pay a pro-rated portion of it to cover the final two months of the season, but perhaps the club would prefer to focus on someone like Bednar who would be under control for next year and come with less of a short-term financial burden.

Given that Helsley is a rental, any team that acquires him will have to battle it out for his services in free agency barring a surprise extension. That’s a battle that very well could include the Cardinals themselves, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes today that Helsley has made clear to the club that he would be willing to return to St. Louis via free agency this offseason even if he winds up being traded over the coming days. It’s far from common for traded rentals to return to the club that dealt them the following winter, but Helsley has long indicated he would like to remain in the organization beyond this season. Goold notes that it has occurred in a few high-profile cases in recent years, such as with Aroldis Chapman and the Yankees at the 2016 trade deadline as well as Jeurys Familia and the Mets back in 2018.

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